Week 5 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Eli Manning had a nice game last week against the Bucs last week, throwing for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and adding 22 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Manning now has two straight games with multiple touchdown passes and seems to be finding his groove again with Odell Beckham Jr. back in the lineup.
This week, Beckham is a little banged up, so check his status before trusting Manning, but he faces a Chargers defense that has given up 6 touchdown passes this year and is allowing 7.4 yards per pass attempt. It’s hard to trust him, but if Beckham plays, he should be a fringe starter and a nice streaming option in most leagues.
Week 4 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Eli Manning had a better game against the Eagles last week, throwing for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns, although he did throw a pair of interceptions as well. He was under pressure, but it was a good sign he wasn’t sacked. Having Odell Beckham Jr. back in the lineup has to help.
This week, Manning faces a Bucs team that destroyed the Bears in Week 2, but got killed by Case Keenum last week. The Bucs defense is likely somewhere between the two performances, but either way, it’s hard to trust Eli with such a horrible offensive line situation.
Week 3 at Philadelphia Eagles
Eli Manning hasn’t had a good start to the season, and he had 239 yards, a touchdown, and a pick against the Lions on Monday night. To make matters worse, he’s been sacked 9 times, including 5 times against the Lions, behind what might be the league’s worst offensive line.
Regardless of matchup, until Manning gets some protection, it’s hard to trust him to put up reliable fantasy numbers. In most leagues, it’s probably safe to leave him on waivers.
Week 2 vs. Detroit Lions
Eli Manning had a pretty rocky start to the season, throwing for 220 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception against the Cowboys on Sunday night. He was also sacked three times and was on the run most of the game behind a shaky offensive line. It certainly didn’t help that his star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., missed the game with an ankle injury he suffered during the preseason.
This week, Manning should fare a little better against the Lions. Detroit forced three interceptions against the Cardinals last week, but allowed 269 yards and a touchdown, and Beckham sounds like he’s going to play. Either way, Manning is too inconsistent to trust as more than a QB2 option in most leagues.
Week 1 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Eli Manning has been an ironman throughout his career, starting every game since taking over the job midway through his rookie year back in 2004. He’s also thrown for at least 4,000 yards in six of his last eight seasons, including the last three. Manning has a bevy of weapons at his disposal and a head coach who isn’t afraid to throw the ball.
To start the season, Manning will face a Dallas defense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in passing yards and touchdowns allowed last year. Manning faced the Cowboys to start the season a year ago as well, and threw three touchdown passes. While Eli isn’t known for his consistency, he’s usually worth considering as a fringe starter or solid QB2 option in most leagues.
Fantasy Upside
Eli Manning has never been the most consistent option game-to-game, but he’s had over 4,000 yards passing three seasons in a row and he has one of the game’s best receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. Additionally, Manning should benefit from free agent acquisition Brandon Marshall and second-year receiver Sterling Shepard. Manning should continue to put up solid numbers with excellent targets in a pass-happy system.
Fantasy Downside
Eli has been remarkably durable throughout his career, but he’s 36 years old and entering his 14th season. At some point, the bottom will fall out on an already erratic passer. Manning will put up good numbers, but he’ll kill you some weeks as well. He had 16 interceptions last year, including six games with multiple picks. The Giants have a young offensive line that is still a work-in-progress, and the running game is inconsistent at best, putting a lot of pressure on Manning to produce.
2017 Bottom Line
Manning won’t surprise anyone this year. At this point in his career, he is who he is. He can be a very solid QB2 or bye week filler in leagues across the board, but isn’t going to be the reason you win your league and he will still have a multiple-interception game at an inopportune time for owners. He’s nice value late in drafts for owners looking to stream this season or have a backup with a history of staying on the field.
Wild Card Round at Green Bay
Eli Manning’s touchdown totals dipped under 30 for the first time in three years this season, but he finished with over 4,000 yards for the sixth time in the last eight years. Manning is always fairly inconsistent, but he can be fine in a pinch in most fantasy leagues, and the last time he was in the playoffs he averaged 304.75 yards and 2.25 touchdowns per game on his way to a Super Bowl victory.
This week, Manning has a lot of upside against a Green Bay pass defense that is tied for third worst in the league in passing touchdowns allowed this year. Also, only the Saints allowed more passing yards. Eli isn’t a sure-fire starter like Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger this week, but if you miss out on one of the top three guys – Russell Wilson being the third – then settling for Manning might not be a bad option.
Week 17 vs. Washington
Eli Manning had 356 yards and a touchdown last week against the Eagles, but he also had three picks, leading to a New York loss. The Giants still sit at 10 wins though, assured of a playoff spot. Early signs are that they will play their starters this week.
Manning will finish the regular season against a Washington pass defense that ranks 28th in the league in yards allowed and are tied for 14th with 22 touchdowns given up. That should be a good matchup for Eli, but it wouldn’t shock me to see him get pulled at some point if the game isn’t going well. Washington needs this win more than New York does. With Manning’s erratic outputs and the threat of him sitting some portion of the game, there should be better options available to you on waivers.
Week 16 at Philadelphia
Eli Manning had an efficient game against the Lions last week, completing 20 of 28 pass attempts for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He didn’t turn the ball over and led New York to their 10th victory of the season, putting the Giants in the driver’s seat for a wildcard spot. It was good to see multiple touchdowns and no turnovers for Manning, as fantasy owners gear up for championship season.
This week, Manning faces a Philadelphia defense that started the season fairly stout, but has regressed since. They rank below average in touchdowns and yards per attempt allowed to opposing passers, although they are 13th in the league with only 239 passing yards allowed per game. Expect another middle-tier performance from Eli, with low yardage and a pair of touchdowns, making him a borderline QB1 but most likely a good streaming or QB2 option in most leagues.
Week 15 vs. Detroit
Eli Manning had only 193 yards, a touchdown and a pick against the Cowboys last week, but pulled out a much-needed victory as the Giants try to make a push for one of the wildcard spots. Manning has thrown for three touchdowns and three picks over the past two games and hasn’t eclipsed 200 yards passing since Week 11 against the Bears.
This week, Manning will face a below average Detroit pass defense. Both teams need the win, so Detroit will come to play, but the Lions allow efficient production to opposing QBs. Only the Browns have allowed a better QBR to opposing passers this season. Eli is risky, but as a low-end QB1 option in large leagues, he has some upside due to a decent matchup.
