Eli Manning

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.

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.