Week 3 vs. Washington
Eli Manning was supposed to light up a vulnerable Saints pass defense last week, but ended up with zero offensive touchdowns. The Giants got the win anyway thanks to the defense, and Eli had no interceptions and threw for 368 yards, but it was still very disappointing that he couldn’t punch it into the end zone against such a soft defense.
This week should be another good matchup. Washington got torched by Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1, and Dak Prescott didn’t have any problems moving the ball against them last week. Look for Eli to get back on track against a suspect front-seven and for his usual borderline QB1 numbers.
Week 2 vs. New Orleans
Eli Manning had a nice start to the season. He only had 207 yards in Week 1 against the Cowboys, but he tossed three touchdown passes compared to only one pick and was only sacked twice. Eli found three different players for touchdown passes and completed passes to seven different options, which bodes well for him long-term this year.
This week, Eli should be started in all league formats. He’s a top option against the putrid New Orleans Saints, who gave up 486 yards and 35 points to the Raiders last week. Also, the last time these two teams met, there were 101 points scored and Eli had 350 yards and six touchdowns. While it may be a lot to expect a similar output this time, expecting multiple touchdowns and 300 yards passing is more than reasonable from Eli this week.
Week 1 at Dallas
Eli Manning actually had a pretty strong year last season, putting up 4,436 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to only 14 interceptions. New York added talented WR Sterling Shepard in the second round of the draft and they’ll get veteran WR Victor Cruz back to help ease the pressure off Odell Beckham Jr. in the passing game, which should help Manning out.
Manning gets to start the season against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas was quietly a top five pass defense last year, allowing only 19 touchdown passes to opposing offenses. However, they have injuries and suspensions all along their front seven, and they lost Greg Hardy over the off-season, arguably their best pass rusher. Eli did struggle against Dallas in both outings last year, zero touchdowns in either matchup, but he should be considered a low-end QB1 option this week anyway given the off-season changes for both teams.
Fantasy Upside
Eli Manning’s accuracy has improved in Ben McAdoo’s offense, as he’s completed more than 62 percent of his passes in two straight seasons, after only doing so twice in his previous 10 years. McAdoo was promoted to head coach this year after being the offensive coordinator the past two seasons. McAdoo is also aggressive throwing the ball in the red zone, with pass plays called 66.7 percent of the time in red zone situations last year (second in the league). Manning ended up with a career-high 35 touchdown passes last year as a result. The Giants used a second round pick on sure-handed Sterling Shepard out of Oklahoma, who should win a job early as a slot receiver, or possibly even on the outside, and Eli will still have one of the best receivers in the game to throw to in Odell Beckham Jr. Manning and OBJ have combined for 25 touchdown passes in the last two seasons!
Fantasy Downside
Eli has never been the most consistent fantasy producer, and the downside to having him on your active roster week-to-week is when he has an off game, it’s usually disastrous. He had four games last season with two or more interceptions, including a horrible outing in a must-win game against the Vikings in Week 16, throwing for just 234 yards, a touchdown and three picks – albeit without OBJ. Manning is also 35 years old now, and although he hasn’t shown signs of age, he’s definitely on the back side of his career. It’s also possible the Giants will throw less often, as they spent big money on key free agents on the defensive side of the ball. With the Giants defense ranking dead last in yards allowed last season, any improvement could create less shoot-outs for Manning to pad his stats.
2016 Bottom Line
Eli is a nice value late in drafts and ia a pretty reliable starter for fantasy owners who don’t want to invest a lot into the position. He remains a player often overlooked in fantasy drafts due to his erratic nature, but he has thrown for over 4,400 yards and at least 30 touchdowns in two straight seasons and he has taken better care of the ball in McAdoo’s system. Plus, with OBJ to throw to, Manning should continue to be a solid producer in all league formats. He’s an excellent value at his 10th round ADP in 10-team leagues.
Week 17 vs. Philadelphia
Eli Manning struggled heavily against the Vikings last week without his top receiving option, Odell Beckham Jr. He finished the game with 234 yards, one touchdown pass, and three interceptions as the Giants were absolutely destroyed by Minnesota, 49-17.
This week, Manning gets a better matchup against the Eagles. Philadelphia has given up the second most touchdown passes to opposing teams so far this season, and they rank 26th in the league in passing yards allowed. It’s hard to trust Eli in the finals, but with Beckham back in action and a great matchup on paper, Eli is a sneaky start in all league formats and might be a nice option for teams looking for some upside at the quarterback position.
Week 16 vs. Minnesota
Eli Manning had a good game against the Panthers last week, considering the matchup and the fact that the Giants ended up with a loss. He only had 245 yards, but he threw four touchdown passes and engineered a 28 point comeback late in the game before the Panthers managed a game winning field goal.
This week, Eli faces a Vikings pass defense that ranks seventh in the league in yards allowed to opposing passing offenses, and 13th with 21 touchdown passes allowed this season. Eli will likely be without his top wideout Odell Beckham Jr., who is suspended from the contest after some extra-play activity last week against Panther corner Josh Norman. All this spells a risky start for Eli, and fantasy owners should consider him no better than a low-end QB1 option at best in most leagues.
Week 15 vs. Carolina
Eli Manning had a great game on Monday night against the struggling Dolphins. He threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns as the Giants got a big win to stay alive in the NFC East race. Manning has been up and down at times this season, but continues to take better care of the football in his 12th season. His 10 interceptions this season are currently tied for the second lowest number in his career.
This week, Eli will struggle to repeat his good performance from Monday night. He faces a Panthers defense that ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards allowed, and tied for fifth with only 16 passing touchdowns given up. The Panthers are fresh off a shutout against the Falcons and will likely make things tough for the Giants offense. Manning should only be used as a low end QB2 this week and should remain on the bench in most formats.
Week 13 vs. New York Jets
Eli Manning had a horrible start to the game last week against Washington, but improved late in the game to make the game close. He finished with three interceptions, but rallied to 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns for an overall average kind of fantasy outing. Eli has been more efficient with the ball this year, so this was a surprisingly uncharacteristic outing for him.
This week, Eli goes up against an uneven Jets pass defense. The Jets have been in the upper half of the league in passing yards allowed in in forced interceptions with 11 this year. However, they’ve also allowed 21 touchdown passes to opposing offenses, which puts them in the bottom third of the league. Expect that to even out a bit this week, making Eli an average starting quarterback. We have him hovering right around the top then this week.
Week 12 at Washington
Eli Manning was on a bye last week, but in his last game, he threw for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Manning is on pace to finish the season with career highs in completion percentage, touchdown passes and quarterback rating, and he’s done a better job taking care of the football this season than he ever has. Right now, he has 21 touchdown passes compared to only six interceptions and is on pace to finish with single-digit picks for the first time since his rookie season, when he only played in nine games.
This week looks to be an excellent matchup for Eli against Washington. When he faced this defense earlier in the season, he threw for an efficient 279 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a Giants victory. Additionally, Washington gave up five touchdown passes to Cam Newton last week and has struggled defensively the past several weeks. With a great matchup, Eli is a top-5 fantasy option in all league formats.
Week 10 vs. New England
Eli Manning had a subpar outing against the Bucs, even though the Giants ended up with a win. Despite throwing the ball 40 times, Manning had only 213 yards on the day and had a pair of touchdowns to go with a pair of interceptions. Eli has been up and down in fantasy production this season, but his completion percentage remains at a career-high and he’s averaging over two touchdown passes per game, making him a solid fantasy option moving forward.
This week, he gets to play his old friends the New England Patriots. The Pats have been middle of the road against the pass this year, giving up 12 touchdown passes so far on the season. They’ve also forced nine interceptions this year, which may mean we see scoring and picks from the youngest Manning. The game could end up featuring a lot of passing though, which could mean good numbers from both quarterbacks. Manning is a top-10 option this week and a nice fantasy quarterback in most leagues.
