Week 10 at San Francisco 49ers
Eli Manning struggled against Washington before the bye in Week 8, throwing for a pair of interceptions in his seventh loss of the season. Manning did manage his second straight game with over 300 passing yards, and he now has three such games over his last four outings, but that’s little consolation in a league where 300 yards is nearly the minimum production expected of a fantasy quarterback each week.
Manning will face a 49ers defense that allows the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season, but it’s hard to trust him during such a forgettable season. Manning is a viable streaming option in very large leagues or in leagues that allow two quarterbacks, but should remain on waivers in most formats.
Week 8 vs. Washington Redskins
Eli Manning had a season-high 399 yards passing against a vulnerable Falcons defense last week, but he only managed one touchdown pass in a tough loss. Manning hasn’t been terrible this year, but he hasn’t been particularly effective either. He’s on pace to throw only 9.14 interceptions this season, which would be his lowest since he threw nine in nine starts as a rookie, and his completion percentage of 69 percent is a career-high. However, he’s on pace for only 16 touchdowns, which would be a career-low, making his fantasy production hard to get excited about. Against a tough Washington defense this week, he’s too risky to trust in most leagues.
Week 7 at Atlanta Falcons
Eli Manning had a rough game against the Eagles last week, putting up 281 yards and a pick in the Giants’ fifth loss of the season. Manning has struggled behind a poor offensive line this year and it seems unlikely those problems will go away any time soon.
Manning has upside against the Falcons this week, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season. He’s still risky due to how erratic he’s been, but fantasy owners in leagues that feature two quarterbacks or in deep leagues with bye week issues should consider streaming him in a great matchup.
Week 6 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Eli Manning threw for 326 yards and a pair of touchdowns on Sunday, but he also threw a pair of interceptions. The Eagles have been very average against the quarterback position this year, but it’s hard to trust Eli with how inconsistent he can be. We’ve seen every angle of Erratic Eli so far this season, and there should be better streaming options available than a risky quarterback on Thursday night against Philly. Leave him on waivers.
Week 5 at Carolina Panthers
Eli Manning was disappointing last week in what should’ve been a fantastic matchup against the Saints. He finished with a modest 255 yards and a touchdown, despite attempting 41 passes. Manning has great weapons to work with and has the ability to be a spot-starter in any given week, but his wild inconsistency makes him hard to trust as a viable lineup option. Except for deep leagues that use two quarterbacks, Manning should remain on waivers for the foreseeable future.
Week 4 vs. New Orleans Saints
Eli Manning had an efficient game against the Texans last week, completing 25-of-29 passes for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was also sacked four times, as protection up front continues to be an issue. Manning has been sacked 12 times through three games, the fourth-most in the league.
Manning has some upside this week against the Saints. No team has given up more fantasy points to the quarterback position than the Saints have—34.3 points allowed per game. Manning is too erratic to count on in every league, but he has upside in a great matchup as a streaming option.
Week 3 at Houston Texans
Eli Manning struggled Monday night against the Cowboys. His offensive line looked overmatched by the Dallas defensive scheming, and Manning suffered six sacks as a result. He did get a late-game touchdown that almost allowed the Giants back in the game, but 279 yards on 44 pass attempts was far from prolific for the veteran.
This week, Manning’s troubles will likely continue against a dangerous Texans pass rush. He’s too erratic for fantasy owners to trust at this point in his career. We have him ranked near the bottom of our quarterback rankings this week, making him waiver-wire fodder in most leagues.
Week 2 at Dallas Cowboys
Eli Manning struggled predictively against the stingy Jaguars defense last week, putting up 224 yards and a pick in a five-point loss to the start the season. The right side of his offensive line gave him very little time against monsters like Calais Campbell. Manning should do a little better against the Cowboys this week, but he’s still risky. Dallas held Cam Newton to only 161 passing yards last week, making it risky to bank on Eli to bounce back in Week 2.
Week 1 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Eli Manning is coming off a rough season, but with a revamped offensive line, a healthy receiving corps and a new rookie running back, he could be in store for a bounce-back season. That being said, this isn’t the week to bank on him, as he’ll face a Jaguars defense that allowed the fewest amount of fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks a season ago and added Michael Bennett to their defensive line rotation.
Fantasy Upside
Coming off a tumultuous season that included the first benching of his career, Eli Manning will enter 2018 with some new weapons to work with, as well as a new head coach. He will finally have an elite running back behind him, with second-overall pick Saquon Barkley set to take the league by storm, and he should benefit from the return of Odell Beckham Jr. from injury. Manning will also have a new left tackle in former New England Patriot Nate Solder, and a new guard in Will Hernandez, a second-round rookie from UTEP. New head coach Pat Shurmur helped journeyman Case Keenum to top-15 fantasy production last season, so there is upside for Manning.
Fantasy Downside
Manning has always been wildly erratic and he’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. He threw for only 3,468 yards last season—his lowest total since 2008—and only 19 touchdowns. It was one of only two seasons as a full-time starter that Eli failed to reach 20 touchdown passes. Manning is also 37 years old, and if the new pieces on the offensive line don’t mesh right away, he may struggle with protection issues up front again. Throw in learning a new system, and it’s hard to get too excited about Manning at this stage in his career.
2018 Bottom Line
Manning will likely go undrafted in most leagues, but he’ll present some interesting streaming value throughout the season. He’s been a viable fantasy option in spurts throughout his career, and the Giants are bound to have better luck with injuries than last year, when Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard all missed time throughout the year. He’s a viable backup in leagues that start two quarterbacks, but he should probably stay on waivers in single-quarterback leagues.
