Fantasy Efficiency: Corey Clement, RB PHI

Justin Bales Posted On May 29, 2018

One of the most polarizing rookies from last year ended up being Corey Clement, who came out of nowhere to carve out a meaningful role in the backfield of the Eagles. Today, we take a closer look at what the future may hold for the young running back.

Player: Corey Clement
Position: Running Back
2017 Touches: 84
2017 PPR Points: 92.4
2017 FP/Touch: 1.10
2017 Season

Corey Clement was signed as an undrafted free agent from Wisconsin after being undrafted in 2017. He was seen as purely a runner coming out of college, as he recorded only 29 receptions through four seasons with the Badgers. He worked hard enough at practices to be given a role in week three and did not look back for the remainder of the season. Clement was not a major part of the offense, recording only 15.7% of the team’s total rush attempts. He was able to turn those into 15.2% of Philly’s rushing yards and 44.4% of their rushing touchdowns, though. Clement featured elite production inside the red zone, recording a 30.7% red zone touchdown rate. He also scored on 50% of his rushes inside the five yard line. Overall, he needed only 20% of the team’s red zone rushing attempts to lead them in rushing touchdowns.

While never seen as an elite receiver, Clement more than held his own in that category last year. He only saw 15 targets, but recorded a 66.7% catch rate. He also posted the highest yards per reception of any running back on the team. Furthermore, he was given more receiving responsibility in the playoffs, recording 10 receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown on only 11 targets. His best receiving days seem to be ahead of him at this point in his career.

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Efficiency

Clement was one of the more efficient pure runners in the NFL last season, as he was the only played in the top-24 of running backs with less than 15% of his touches coming from receptions. He also ranked 15th in the NFL in fantasy points per touch, while ranking as the only player inside the top-28 of the league with 10 or less receptions. Clement finished the season as the RB51, while ranking only 63rd in the NFL in total touches, as well.

Future Outlook

Clement’s future is extremely bright at this point, but also fairly murky. He is only 23 years old and played a crucial part in the Eagles playoff success as a rookie. The Eagles have a plethora of question marks surrounding their team this season, including the health of their quarterback and which running backs are going to play what percentages of the snaps.

The Eagles quarterback situation is a bit of an unknown entering this season. Carson Wentz is expected to be ready, but it would be far from surprising if the Eagles bring him back slowly. Nick Foles played extremely well throughout the playoffs, even winning Super Bowl MVP. Clement’s best run as a receiver was with Foles at quarterback, and it is yet to be determined if Wentz can duplicate that success. This is somewhat of a minor situation for Clement, though, as he is in good hands with both players.

Philly’s running back situation is significantly more important for Clement. Jay Ajayi will likely be the lead running back for the Eagles this season. He has known knee issues, though, and this is the last year on his contract. Philadelphia could let him walk away if they feel comfortable with Clement by the end of the year. Darren Sproles could cause another problem for him, as Clement barely saw the field last season when Sproles was healthy. However, Sproles is an aging running back who could retire at the end of the year. Wendell Smallwood and Donnel Pumphrey are the final two running backs who could give Clement issues, but he was able to beat them both out last season, and would be far from surprising if he can do that again this year. The Eagles also opted not to draft a running back this season, even though they were in a great position to get a steal in the second round. Instead, they only added Josh Adams as an undrafted free agent. While Adams is a great addition to the team, it shows the Eagles must be confident in Clement’s ability to take over if something were to happen to Ajayi. He has a bright future ahead of him, as it looks as if he could be a featured back in Philadelphia within the next couple of years.

Current Value

Clement is a player who is quietly flying under the radar in dynasty start up drafts. He currently has an ADP of 157.17 or early 13^3th round. He is also being selected as the RB48, even though he nearly exceeded those expectations in his first season as an undrafted free agent. He also saw limited opportunities this season, which will likely change within the next two years.

I believe Clement is also underappreciated in the trade market, as he continuously is traded for less than his value. Below are some of the trades that took place in 12-team PPR dynasty leagues from March through May involving Clement.

Corey Clement for 3.08
Corey Clement for 3.08 (again)
Corey Clement/2020 Third for 4.02/4.11/5.02
Corey Clement/2019 Fourth for Chris Carson/2019 Third

Truthfully, there is a mixed bag when it comes to accurately valuing Clement. On one hand, he’s an undrafted free agent who does not feature a big contract. The Eagles could move on from him without blinking. With that being said, he has also proven he can hang in the NFL, and even if Philly would cut him, he’ll likely end up somewhere else. Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles could be out of Philly next season, leaving Clement as the starter unless the Eagles draft another running back. There’s very little risk in acquiring Clement right now because of his value. He’s a player you will need to sit on for a year until you can potentially expect big things from him. For the price, that’s worth looking into.

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