Eli Manning

Home/Tag: Eli Manning

Fantasy Football Week 7 with Adam Pfeifer

Episode 035: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Football Week 6 Recap and Analysis

Fantasy Football Week 7 Primer

Featuring Adam Pfeifer (@aPfeiferFF) of XNSports.com and ProjectRoto.com

About My Guest:  Adam Pfeifer

Adam Pfeifer is a fantasy sports writer for ProjectRoto and XN Sports, covering the NFL, NBA and MLB. He’s been covering fantasy sports for nearly four years now, has been featured in FootballDiehards magazines, can be heard on Sirius XM Fantasy and can be found on Twitter @aPfeiferFF. 
 
Here are some recent pieces he’s been doing (series)
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down @ Project Roto: http://projectroto.com/week-6-thumbs-up-thumbs-down/
Show Rundown:
  • Intro- get to know what Adam is up to in the Fantasy Sports world.
  • Week 6 Recap and Analysis for each game
  • Upgrade time  (Players who you need to upgrade in your rankings) Isaiah Crowell, Jerrick McKinnon, Bishop Sankey, Michael Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald, Allen Robinson
  • Downgrade time (Players you need to downgrade) Roddy White, Eli Manning, Eddie Lacy, CJ Spiller, Marqise Lee
  • Juicy Matchups for Week 7 (Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a bye.)
  • Waiver Wire
  • The Coach’s Office
  • Outro

Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.  

Thank Yous For Episode 035:  I want to thank the young fantasy phenom, Adam Pfeifer for coming on the podcast and helping me tackle the 6 recap and analysis as well helping everyone get ready for week 7 of the fantasy football season.  I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

 

Read More

Episode 23: Fantasy Football Zach Law

Episode 23: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Football Edition: Auction Strategy and the Tennessee Titans

Featuring: Zach Law (@Zach_Law) Senior Thought Leader FantasyZach LawSports.org

About My Guest:  Zach Law is the Senior Thought Leader (translation: only writer) for Fantasysports.org, a site dedicated to covering the entire fantasy industry which to Zach means “fantasy football only”. He’s also written two books based on his Ask Your Fantasy Football Expert series called “There Is No Off Season” and “There Still Is No Offseason”. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two cats. 

 

Episode Summary:  Zach and I discuss a recent Fantasy Football auction we participated in and commiserate over the failings of the New York giants and Zach’s beloved Titans.  (Zach does give me shit for complaining about a team that has won two Super Bowls since 2007.

Episode Rundown:

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.   

ThaThere is no off seasonnk Yous For Episode 023:  I want to thank Zach for coming on the podcast and making fun of me for complaining about the New York Giants.  I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

Here’s Zach’s interview with one of my former guests on the podcast, Jonathan Vandersluis (Owner/Writer of Top Team Fantasy) 

 

Read More

Rueben Randle and a Case of Deja Vu

The year was 2011 and Mario Manningham was coming off a season that saw him approach 1,000 yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns.  Manningham struggled with injuries during training camp,  but many fantasy football minds thought he was an ideal breakout candidate with the departure of Steve Smith.  The emergence of Victor Cruz in the preseason had zero impact on Manningham’s ADP as he was drafted as the 24th WR off the board according to MyFantasyLeague.com’s Redraft ADP from 2011.

Manningham had all the ear marks for breakout season heading into 2011.  He was a highly regarded prospect that fell in the draft because of some character concerns and some sloppy combine numbers.  He had a strong 2010 where he made the most of his opportunities and his role looked like it would be expanding.  I think saying his combine numbers were sloppy is a bit of an understatement when you look at them compared to other wide receivers.

The real sloppiness in Mario Manningham‘s game came from his inconsistency.  (Does that ring a bell?!!)  Manningham regularly ran the wrong routes or misread coverages in his first few years with the Giants.  Even when he did make the right reads he often didn’t possess the route running skills to connect with Eli consistently.  His biggest mistakes came along the sideline on fade routes where he didn’t lave enough room between himself and the sideline to make receptions in bounds.   The funny part of all of this is that he made that tremendous sideline reception in the 2011 Super Bowl against the Patriots that erased all of the bad routes from Giants’ fans memories.

The 2011 season saw Manningham miss time and eventually fall behind the un-drafted phenom that was Victor Cruz.  Cruz had wowed Giants’ fans and the Giants’ brass in the 2010 preseason, only to suffer a significant hamstring injury that led the Giants to IR him for the season.  The 2011 season saw Cruz start off slow with some drop problems and fumbling issues, but then he exploded for over 1,500 yards and 9 end-zone Salsa Dances.  The Giants knew what they had in Cruz and let Manningham walk away during free agency after they won the 2011 Super Bowl.

Photo By: Bill Kostroun.

Photo By: Bill Kostroun.

This year the Giants have Rueben Randle seemingly poised to make the leap to fantasy football relevance.  Last year he managed 41 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns in a limited role.  He was a favorite of many in best ball league drafts last year because of the shaky health history of Hakeem Nicks.  Randle’s role diminished over the latter part of the season because of his inability to get on the same page as Eli Manning in Kevin Gilbride’s offense.  Eli threw more interceptions on passes intended for Rueben Randle then some QB’s threw all season.

Before I compare Randle to Manningham we should loom at his combine numbers and comparables.

Randle showed more promise and explosiveness on the field playing for LSU than he did at the combine.  His pedestrian Vertical leap and mid 4.5 40 yard dash made people go back and study what he did on the field.  His slightly poor combine and raw route running skills had him fall to the end of the second round in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Giants pulled the trigger as they needed a wide receiver with some potential and the body size to play on the outside in today’s NFL.  Randle proved to be raw as he continually ran the wrong routes and did not have the proper technique to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage as well as getting across the face of the defender in “MUST WIN” situations.  His size and quickness should have made it easy for him to beat an inside shade, but he seemed to lack the technique and the want to win at times.

This year the Giants brought in a new Offensive Coordinator in Ben McAdoo from the Green Bay Packers and the thought was that Randle wouldn’t have to read coverages as much and he could just work on his route running.  I can tell you from going to practices and training camp that Randle looks like he’s learned a lot between this year and last.  He easily beats DRC and Prince Amukamara off the line of scrimmage and they have a hard time keeping up with him and reading his routes.  So far that hasn’t amounted to much in the preseason as the Giants offense has struggled as a whole.

Eli looks a little shell shocked once the red jersey comes off and I think his regression more than Randle’s lack of skill will keep him from reaching his potential.  The offensive line for the Giants is a huge question mark as their key off-season addition, Geoff Schwartz, dislocated his big toe in their last preseason game and the offensive line is once again forced to shuffle.  It looks like the rookie Weston Richburg could take over for Schwartz in the short term as Schwartz avoided surgery and is week to week.

What makes the situation eerily similar to 2011 is that the Giants once again have an undrafted free agent that is making waves in the preseason.  Corey Washington is a big outside wide receiver from a small school that just might be the next Marques Colston or Victor Cruz.  The fact that wide receiver Marcus Harris has already been IR’d and Mario Manningham has done nothing in the preseason has Corey Washington teetering on the wide receiver five spot going into the final preseason game of 2014.  If Washington wins a roster spot and Randle struggles, he could push for some playing time in the second half of the year.

The fact remains that Randle is a lot more talented than Manningham was back in 2011 and is healthy going into the season.  The Giants are going to give Randle every chance to be their main outside threat, but he could eventually be pushed by both Odell Beckham Jr. and Corey Washington.  If there is a mid draft run on wide receivers I wouldn’t reach for Rueben Randle before the middle of the seventh round in 12 team leagues.  In most home-league/work-league drafts I’ve seen Randle last until the ninth round.  That’s a nice spot for his upside.  He is also going at a nice value price in auctions and could be a nice keeper if Eli can get back to his old gun-slinging self.  The best part about Randle’s current ADP is that you can get him a full three rounds later than where Manningham was going in 2011.

My recommendation for Corey Washington is to grab him in your deep dynasty leagues.  Whether it’s 16 team leagues with 24+ rosters or 12 to 14 team leagues where you have expanded rosters.   It never hurts to grab big, tall wide receivers that have a nose for the end zone.

Read More

Episode 011: Fantasy Football Salvatore Stefanile

Episode 011: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Football Edition: Two Quarterback Leagues

Featuring Salvatore Stefanile (@2QBFFB) SportableNFL

 

Salvatore Stefanile joins me to clown around and talk some Fantasy Football.

Salvatore Stefanile joins me to clown around and talk some Fantasy Football.

About My Guest: “Salvatore Stefanile, the winner of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s award for Best Fantasy Football On-Going Series in 2013, is a big proponent of the 2-QB fantasy football movement . You can find his 2-QB musings at XNSports.com and on Twitter @2QBFFB. He’s also the content manager for Sportable — your place for interactive, bite-sized football news and fantasy football resources.” Articles and Posts referenced in the Podcast:

2-QB draft project for Sportable:  http://www.sportable.is/?c17889/fantasy-football/sportable-2-qb-draft-recap/  

http://www.sportable.is/?t17889/tag/sportable-2-qb-draft/

Recent 2-QB ADP (goes over some draft strategies): http://www.xnsports.com/2014/06/23/2-qb-fantasy-football-adp-post-2014-nfl-draft-edition/

                                                                                               http://www.xnsports.com/2014/07/06/look-quarterbacks-drafted-2-qb-fantasy-football-mocks-2014/

Top 250 overall 2-QB rankings: http://www.xnsports.com/2014/06/23/top-250-overall-2-qb-fantasy-football-redraft-rankings/

Tiered QB rankings for 2-QB leagues: http://www.xnsports.com/2014/06/23/tiered-qb-rankings-2-qb-fantasy-football-leagues-june/

Primer on 2-QB leagues: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/47389/404/the-two-qb-mindset

Fanium Fantasy Football: http://splash.fanium.com/

Episode Summary:  Sal and I discuss all of his current work as well as get to know everything about SportableNFL.  We delve into two quarterback leagues Vs. traditional leagues as well as strategy and specific player targets.  We may or may not discuss the movies Heavyweights, Good Burger and Youngblood.

Episode Breakdown:

  • Intro
  • Get to know Salvatore Stefanile and find out where all of his work can be found on the internet.
  • 2QB Vs. Tradional Fantasy Football Leagues and how the strategy differs.
  • Where’s the drop off for the top scoring QB’s this year?
  • What RB’s and WR’s should be looked at in the first two rounds of 2QB Fantasy Football Drafts?
  • How important is the tight end position in 2QB leagues?
  • Which QB2 in the current rankings has a chance to be a top 8 QB in Fantasy Football?
  • Which QB3 should we target as a bye week fill in/ trade piece?
  • Some 2QB Daily Fantasy Talk
  • Outro

 

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

Thanks For Episode 011:  I want to thank the guru of two quarterback fantasy football, Salvatore Stefanile, (@2QBFFB) for coming on The Fantasy Coach Podcast and enlightening me and my audience on the nuances and strategies that go into preparing for a two quarterback draft.  

I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

 

Read More

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 10 Start/Sit


The Giants spent the bye week healing up and readying for an uphill battle back to the top of the NFC East.  While it’s anyone’s guess if the Giants really have a legitimate shot at making a run at the NFC East title, the fact that the Giants are as healthy as they have been since training camp cannot be disputed.

Andre Brown

The Giants welcome back their power back Andre Brown to a now crowded back-field and could get their best run-blocking tight end, Adrien Robinson, back from a preseason foot injury.  The combination could have a ripple effect throughout the Giants offense that could benefit everyone involved.  What looked like a thunder and lightning partnership between Andre Brown and David Wilson, has now become a backfield full of rolling thunder.  Andre Brown, Peyton Hillis, and finally healthy Brandon Jacobs could become the type of backfield that can break the wills of opponents.

Fantasy Outlook

Eli Manning-311.56 yards 1.45 TDs and 1.56 Ints (numberFire projection)

Eli comes off the bye week with an offensive line that has finally settled in together.  While the defense was finally clicking on all cylinders before the bye week , Eli and the offense were sputtering.  The additions of Andre Brown and Adrien Robinson can only help Eli over the second half of the year. I expect Eli to have a very big game and my co-host, Micah James, at Trick Plays picked him as his sleeper of the week. The Raidersdefense is ripe for the picking and Eli should put up top ten QB numbers.

Andre Brown-6.02 carries for 27.15 yards and .14 TDs (numberFire)

Brown’s return to the offense comes at an interesting time for the Giants’ running game.  Brandon Jacobs had gashed the Bears a few weeks ago before getting injured, and then Peyton Hillis did a more than adequate job stepping into the backfield off the street. Hillis has proved a solid pass blocker as well as pass catcher while doling out his usual forward falling straight ahead runs. Brown’s patience and skills in the screen game could be a perfect compliment to these two bruisers.  I actually like Brown to be a nice flex play this week against a bad Raiders defense.

Peyton Hillis-8.40 carries for 27.24 yards and .12 TDs, 2.30 receptions for 21.16 yards and .12 TDs (numberFire)

Hillis will have a diminished role with Brown back from injury, but just how much it will be diminished is still to be seen. Hillis has been very valuable on passing downs and could carve out a niche going forward in that role. I don’t see him as much of a fantasy option until we see how much Brown is going to be used this week.

Brandon Jacobs-?

The return of Andre Brown and the emergence of Peyton Hillis has put a damper on the great story that was for Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs will be lucky to hang onto a roster spot with Brown’s return and should only get short yardage and spot usage going forward.

Victor Cruz-5.34 receptions for 76.09 yards and .43 TDs (numberFire)

Cruz missed practice yesterday with a stiff neck and his status is to be monitored going forward for those that have him in fantasy.  I actually have Cruz having a much bigger day, if he plays, than numberFire has him having against the Raiders pass defense. The Raiders safeties have been as bad as any in the league and Cruz can run by them at will if he is healthy.

Hakeem Nicks-3.44 receptions for 46.21 yards and .41 TDs (numberFire)

Nicks has been pretty bad from a fantasy perspective this season. This match-up could be the one to get him going.  The Raiders corners have struggled in man coverage and Nicks should be able to beat them off the line of scrimmage at will.  I expect almost double the numberFire projections.

Rueben Randle-2.28 receptions for 33.66 yards and .32 TDs (numberFire)

Randle put up a goose-egg the last time out and could see his snaps limited with the return of Stacy Robinson at tight end. While Randle may not get enough snaps to have a huge game, he may only need a few to make a fantasy impact.  I expect the Giants to take some deep shots to Randle if they are able to get the running game going. I have Randle as a WR4 this week, but he has TD potential.

Brandon Myers-3.31 receptions for 32.82 yards and .28 TDs (numberFire)

Myers will be freed up from some of his blocking duties by the return of Adrien Robinson to the lineup.  Myers has failed to click with Eli Manning so far this season and his production is hard to even project.  He is only the fourth option in the offense and should be no more than a tight end two going forward.  He could have some more opportunities in the passing game with Hillis in the backfield and Robinson in at tight end.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see him have a nice game this week after watching the Raiders try to cover the Eagles tight ends last week.

Start/Sit Around the League

Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers‘ injury has the fantasy football world in an uproar.  His shoulder injury not only affects Rodgers’ fantasy owners, but also the owners of Jordy Nelson, Jarrett Boykin, James Jones, and to a lesser extent Eddie Lacy.

Aaron Rodgers owners …

The first thing I would do is to look at the waiver wire and see if Jay Cutler is available.  Cutler may return this week from a torn groin and was playing at a borderline QB1 before his injury.  He has a great match up against the lions this week and should be good to go if the doctors clear him. Other QBs that could be your answer on the waiver wire are Nick Foles and Case Keenum.  Foles is a good choice, but don’t go chasing last week’s points. The Raiders won’t be there for the Eagles to pick on the rest of the year. Keenum will have a huge test this week against the Cardinals on the road, but he has shown a nice deep ball as well as a rapport with his number one receiver Andre Johnson.

Jordy Nelson owners …

Don’t panic, but the WR1 days are over with Wallace at the helm in Green Bay. Seneca Wallace has poor arm strength and will have a hard time hitting Nelson on any out breaking routes as well as getting the ball to him deep. Nelson  could still be a WR3 going forward, but I am going to be playing the wait and see game and pray that Rodgers is back in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Jarrett Boykin owners …

Boykin has had a nice showing while filling in for James Jones and Randall Cobb, but his fantasy relevance took a huge hit with Rodgers going down. I would jump ship with Boykin if Riley Cooper, Aaron Dobson, or Mike Brown were available on the waiver wire.

James Jones owners …

Jones has always had trouble separating from coverage, but that was never a problem for Aaron Rodgers.  Jones would body up his defender and Rodgers would fit it in to him. Jones is going to be a WR4 until Rodgers comes back from injury.

Eddie Lacy owners …

Eddie Lacy was fast becoming a top fantasy running back the last few weeks, but the absence of Rodgers could  put a stop to that trend.  Lacy was facing soft fronts with Rodgers at quarterback and now will face stacked boxes that are full of run blitzes. If I was a defensive coordinator, stopping Lacy and his running mate James Starks would be my first priority. Lacy goes back to RB2 territory until Rodgers comes back.

Feel free to ask me any start/sit or trade questions on Twitter @Coachesser or by messaging me on Facebook by liking Coachesser’s Playbook. You can also read my articles at www.coachesser.com and listen to the definitive fantasy football podcast on Itunes or Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Trick Plays podcast hosted by Micah James (@FFMagicMan) and myself.

Read More

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 8 Start/Sit


Well this week I finally get to write a start/sit post after a win. We did win that game on Monday night, didn’t we?  It almost feels like a loss the way that game played out against the Vikings. After all, Josh Freeman’s incompletions got more highlights then Eli Manning’s touchdown pass to Rueben Randle.

Peyton HillisThe Giants‘ offense didn’t necessarily set the world on fire Monday night, but there were some good signs. The emergence of Peyton Hillis as a third down back is a huge thing. The Vikings were extremely susceptible to running backs in the passing game before they faced the Giants, but until Monday night there was no way of telling if the Giants could actually exploit that. Hillis proved to be a capable blocker and pass catcher as he racked up 5 receptions for 45 yards in his first game with the Giants.

The Vikings decided to keep their safeties in the middle of the field to try and containVictor Cruz and left Hakeem Nicks singled up on the outside most of the game. Nicks was unable to get going as he had his worst game of the season in a great match up.  He had a team high ten targets and managed only two receptions for twenty eight yards.  The only good news concerning Nicks is the fact that he is now facing an Eagles team that he absolutely destroyed earlier this year.

Start/Sit

Eli Manning-295.44 yards 1.28 TDs 1.29 INTs-numberFire

Well numberFire has Eli turning throwing more interceptions than touchdown this week.  Can you blame them?  The Eagles actually played a pretty good defensive game last week against the Cowboyspicking off Tony Romo twice, but were still exposed by the Cowboys outside wide receivers.  If the Eagles continue to give the same looks to the Giants I expect Eli to have to throw the ball to Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle on the outside.  If those two receivers can make plays for Eli than Eli could finish in the top 12 of fantasy quarterbacks this weekend.  If they don’t make the plays Eli will struggle.

Brandon Jacobs-12.38 carries for 43.47 yards and .24 touch downs-numberFire

If Brandon Jacobs is healthy enough to go this week he will be a RB2 in most formats.  The Eagles can be run on and Jacobs is the best runner the Giants currently have.  While I like his skills much more for standard leagues, I will be putting him in my line ups in PPR as well as there are six NFL teams on byes this week.

Peyton Hillis-5.28 carries for 16.56 yards and .09 TDs 1.86 receptions for 17.28 yards and .09 TDs-numberFire

Hillis proved that he is the Giants best asset out of the backfield in the passing game.  In PPR leagues I would be using him this week if I had injury or bye week problems.  I doubt he will get goal line looks with Jacobs back, but you never know.  Especially if the Giants go to their patented shotgun draw play at the goal line.

Victor Cruz-6.19 receptions for 89.78 yards and .59 TDs-numberFire

Cruz has gotten a lot of extra attention lately as Hakeem Nicks has struggled to get going.  He is still a must start in all formats, but Nicks needs to get going for Cruz to put up the big numbers.

Hakem Nicks-3.63 receptions for 48.39 yards and .33 TDs-numberFire

Nicks has really struggled lately, but he has a tremendous match up this week.  He still has the skills to get open.  He still has the huge hands and big catch radius.  He must come up big this week for the Giants to win and for you to win in fantasy football.

Rueben Randle-2.19 receptions for 34.32 yards and .32 TDs-numberFire

Randle was once again hit or miss last week as he made a tremendous reception for a touchdown and a terrible fumble on a punt return.  Hopefully facing the team that he torched a few short weeks ago will help him get out of the doghouse.  Randle will be in a ton of lineups because of the bye weeks and I expect him to have a very solid game.  Much higher than the numberFire projection.

Brandon Myers-3.62 receptions for 39.11 yards and .21 touchdowns-numberFire

Myers has not been a big part of the offense lately. In his last five games Myers has put up two goose-eggs and a total of seven receptions.  I am not starting him in any leagues. The Giants are simply not looking his way, because of a variety of reasons.  I would rather start the Jets‘ Jeff Cumberland or the Cardinals‘ Rob Housler if you need a bye week fill in.

Fantasy Whip Around

Injuries, injuries and more injuries. Week seven saw multiple quarterbacks go down with injuries as well as top fantasy draft picks Reggie Wayne and Doug Martin.

The quarterback injuries shouldn’t affect many fantasy teams as Sam Bradford and Jay Cutler were always 2nd string fantasy QBs.  Cutler was having a nice year, but there are plenty of good arms on the waiver wire.

The injury to Reggie Wayne will be tough to recover from for fantasy teams. DHB gets a bump and should be the first guy to take a flyer on, but I would also look to Kendall Hunter and Nate Washington in Tennessee. They are both available in a bunch of leagues and should be able to fill your flex spots.

Doug Martin has not been ruled out for the rest of the year just yet, but owners should immediately pick up Mike James just in case.  If James has been scooped up take a look around the waiver wire for high upside guys like Roy Helu Jr. or Jonathan Stewart.

I have to say that this week’s episode of my Trick Plays podcast on Itunes is our best episode yet.  Please subscribe so you never miss out. Thanks!

Feel free to ask me any start/sit or trade questions on Twitter @Coachesser or by messaging me on Facebook by liking Coachesser’s Playbook.  You can also read my articles at www.coachesser.com and listen to the definitive fantasy football podcast on Itunes or Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Trick Plays podcast hosted by Micah James (@FFMagicMan) and myself.

Read More

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Start/Sit Week 7


Fantasy owners and Giants’ fans alike, have had a long time to stew over last week’s performance by Eli Manning.  Eli once again managed to turn the ball over multiple times, only this time he did it with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.  In retrospect he was lucky to only have only three turnovers as he made a multitude of questionable decisions with the football.

Brandon Jacobs

Eli’s struggles somewhat overshadowed a wonderful performance from the reinvigorated Brandon Jacobs.  The Giants’ offensive line were able to handle a banged up Chicago Bears front seven, allowing Brandon Jacobs to test the tackling skills of the Bears’ secondary.  While no one, including me, predicted Jacobs would have one of the best games of his career, the signs were there when looking back.

The Bears defense was down to their fourth string defensive tackle and their defensive ends have shown little effort in stopping the run.  Thursday night games always seem to be dominated by the running game,  I’m not sure if it’s because teams tend to try and shorten the game because of the short rest, or because defensive players have a hard time recovering physically and mentally after playing a game only a few days before.  Either way, you can almost always count on teams sticking to the running game instead of airing it out on Thursday night. (exception: Peyton Manning)

Start/Sit for Week 7

Eli Manning–  300.74 yards 1.66 TDs 1.12 turnovers (NumberFire)

This match up is one I would normally be touting Eli Manning as a must start in almost all leagues as he is facing the 32nd ranked pass defense and needs a big time bounce back game.  The problem is Eli has been so poor this year that I can’t push him that far up my rankings.  If the Brandon Jacobs was healthy as I am writing this I would be more optimistic about Eli’s fantasy projections, but with the question marks currently at running back I feel like there may be too much pressure on Eli to perform. If you have Drew Brees on a bye, I think Eli would be one of my top replacement choices.

Brandon Jacobs- 14.24 carries for 61.52 yards and .38 TDs  2.55 receptions for 19.29 yards (NumberFire)

As I am writing this the news has broken that the Giants have signed Peyton Hillis.  The unknown recovery time for David Wilson coupled with the injury to Da’Rel Scott have forced the Giants to bolster their running back corps.  Brandon Jacobs was unable to practice on Monday and there were some thoughts that Michael Cox may be forced to carry the load.  Luckily for the Giants they can wait all the way until Monday night to see if Jacobs has healed up enough to carry the load.   Even if Jacobs dominates the touches I don’t see him as more than a flex option and a low end RB2 in standard formats.  The Vikings are more susceptible to the pass and running backs who can catch the ball then battering ram types.

Michael Cox- ?

Cox is a question mark because there is no way to predict his involvement in the offense.  Coughlin and Gilbride don’t have the best track record in trusting rookie running backs and I would be playing a wait and see even if he is forced to start.

Victor Cruz- 5.85 receptions for 93.63 yards for .67 TDs (NumberFire)

Victor Cruz is NumberFire’s #3 overall wide receiver play for week 7.  I am in complete agreement as I see this defense being especially vulnerable to excellent slot receiver play.  The play of Antonio Brown against the Vikings in London is just one instance of a  quick receiver having an advantage.

Hakeem Nicks-3.84 receptions for 52.88 yards and .13 TDs (NumberFire)

Nicks has been tough to handicap from a fantasy perspective.  His best two games have come against NFC East opponents who happen to be some of the worst defenses against the pass in the league.  The Vikings are right up Nicks alley and I wouldn’t shy away from playing him as a low end WR2 or flex.

Rueben Randle-2.06 receptions for 32.27 yards and .27 TDs (NumberFire)

Randle has caused some head aches for Eli Manning in the passing game with some poor communication and drops earlier in the season, but there is no denying his talent as a big play receiver.  He is a nice flex play this week in deeper leagues or if you currently have injury issues with Julio Jones, Randall Cobb, and Danny Amendola all sidelined.

Brandon Myers-4.04 receptions for 42.86 yards and .29 TDs (NumberFire)

Myers has not been a big part of the offense the last few weeks and I think that trend will continue.  The Vikings do play a lot of zone and that could play into Myers hands, but I think there are better options to start out there.

Big Blue View Fantasy Football League Update

League 1 – Well, thanks to a two-game losing streak I am now sitting in third place after suffering a loss at the hands of the clairvoyant Pataroons who predicted my teams demise. Phoenix Big Blue currently sits in first place, but Pataroons is hot on their tale riding a 4-game winning streak.

League 2-All is right in the world of League 2 as I sit in first place after week 6. Here Comes Treble is hot on my tail riding a five game winning streak.  The highest scoring team in the league Marcus’s Longshots are having a tough luck season as they also have the most points scored against and sit at 3-3.

News around the league –  The injury to Randall Cobb should be the final push for some of you to roster Keenan Allen of the San Diego Chargers.  The continued absence of Rob Gronkowski and the new injury to Danny Amendola have made Tom Brady a tough start in fantasy leagues.  Look for Jordan Reed of the Redskins to be the next break out tight end in the league as he is clearly the second best pass catching option in Washington.

Feel free to ask me any start/sit or trade questions on Twitter @Coachesser or by messaging me on Facebook by liking Coachesser’s Playbook.  You can also read my articles at www.coachesser.com and listen to the definitive fantasy football podcast on Itunes or Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Trick Plays podcast hosted by Micah James (@FFMagicMan) and myself.

Read More

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 6 Start/Sit

The New York Giants decided to tease the fan base this past Sunday. The biggest tease was the anticipation leading up to the game. Everyone knew that Tom Coughlin teams always seem to win those must win games.  Backs against the wall and that’s when the Giants look like world beaters. The Giants of past years would all of a sudden get all three phases of their game going at the same time when they needed it most. The first drive of the game had every Giant fan exhaling and finally able to cheer.

The problem was that would be the last time we would cheer until the third quarter. While the Eagles put up 19 unanswered points, we struggled to make first downs. Brandon Jacobs was forced to carry the load after David Wilson was injured and reminded every Giant fan that it’s not just Wilson who can fumble. The Giants were able make a run in the third quarter, but it was fool’s gold. With the Giants being one-dimensional and putting the ball in the air almost every play bad things were bound to happen. While all three of Eli’s interceptions might not have been his fault we have to realize that at this point of the season we cannot be so one dimensional.

On with the Start/Sit Advice

Eli Manning – I have him outside my top 16 QBs this week

220 yards passing 1 TD and 2 turnovers (my projection)

NumberFire:  298.14 yards passing 1.11 TDs 1.39 INTs

Manning on a short week against the Chicago Bears in Chicago doesn’t seam like a very good matchup.  The only way he will put up numbers is by sheer volume.  If he attempts 50 passes he could have a top 15 QB week.  The Chicago Bears do have some injuries along the defensive line and haven’t been getting their trademark pressure so there is hope, but not much.

David Wilson Injured

Brandon Jacobs or Da’Rel Scott

NumberFire:  Brandon Jacobs 10.05 carries for 30.13 Yards and .04 TDs

NumberFire:  Da’Rel Scott  11.08 carries for 40.73 yards and .22 TDs  5.03 Receptions for 36.84 yards

David Wilson is injured and has been ruled out. Jacobs is starting and Scott has been re-signed and will be handling passing downs, but that doesn’t scream to me a dynamic duo. NumberFire obviously sees the Giants playing from behind and Scott getting a lot of action as the third down back.

Victor Cruz

5.49 receptions for 79.85 yards and .41 TDs (NumberFire)

Rueben Randle

2.95 receptions for 39.34 yards and .25 TDs (NumberFire)

Hakeem Nicks

3.22 receptions for 41.38 yards and .19 TDs (NumberFire)

The only thing you can count on is that the Giants will have to throw the ball.  Cruz is a must start no matter what.  A couple of mediocre weeks don’t change that. Nicks is a different story. I doubt many of you are going to bench Nicks after the stats he put up last week, but I would because of the short week. I think NumberFire has it right that Randle will outproduce Hakeem Nicks this week. I would only start Randle or Nicks if I had serious injury or bye week problems.  Nicks had 9 receptions for 142 yards last week, but it was a Tony Romo-like performance. He dropped a touchdown and then sealed the game by not finishing a route when he was exhausted at the end of the game.

Brandon Myers

4.16 receptions for 41.11 yards and .31 TDs

Myers is nursing an injury and has not had much production the last few weeks.  I wouldn’t risk playing him on Thursday night.

Quick Notes from around the league …

Julio Jones InjuryHUGE NEWS:  Julio Jones injured his foot and will miss the remainder of the season. Harry Douglas looks like the obvious waiver choice, but I would look to pick up Alshon Jeffrey, Keenan Allen, or even our very own Rueben Randle before picking up Douglas.

Zac Stacy will get another start for the Rams and Marcel Reece will be forced to start for the Raiders. If you need a running back because of injury or bye weeks look to them.

If you have a question for me you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Coachesser or by liking my Facebook Page CoachEsser’s Playbook. You can also read any of my articles or listen to my podcasts by visiting www.coachesser.com. Make sure to head over to iTunes and download the latest TrickPlays podcast if you want to win your fantasy league this year.

Read More

Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit Week 2

The New York Giants could not have started the season worse from a real life football perspective. Mental and physical errors plagued the Giants as they fell behind a divisional opponent in an important week one matchup. The Dallas Cowboys took advantage of every mistake and built up a lead that Eli and his receivers were almost able to overcome. The frantic comeback attempt had Eli Manning and his receivers at the top of fantasy leader boards.

Eli was able to overcome three interceptions and throw for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns. Victor Cruz ended up as the third-highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy football and proved to be the Giants best chess piece as he absolutely killed the Dallas Cowboys. Hakeem Nicks looked quick as he was able to top 100 yards, but wasn’t able to get in the end zone.  Rueben Randlewas a surprise fantasy producer as he broke the 100 yard barrier as well, but I wouldn’t expect that every week. Brandon Myers picked up a lot of action late to put him among the top tight ends of a high-scoring week one in fantasy football.

The only offensive player to not get in on the action was David Wilson. Wilson not only disappointed Giants’ fans with his poor play, but also became one of the all time biggest week one busts in recent fantasy football memory. For example, Wilson was the fourth-most selected player (31 percent of teams) in daily fantasy football drafts on DraftStreet for week one yet managed to actually put up a negative score. In contrast, Manning was only picked for 2.4 percent of daily fantasy lineups yet finished as the number two player at his position.

Wilson’s fumbling and the Cowboys’ opportunistic defense definitely inflated the Giants fantasy numbers, but if you think the Giants players are in for a big correction in week two you may miss out on some serious fantasy points. The Manning brothers may put on a show in week two and hopefully for us we can not only see the Giants come out on top, but win some fantasy football match-ups as well.

Eli Manning — NumberFire has Eli Manning slated for 287.44 yards passing, 1.56 touchdowns, and 1.49 interceptions. I have Eli topping 300 yards and throwing 2 touchdowns. As I am a Giant fan I do not like to give the statistical probability on turnovers, but if your league has a high negative for turnovers you can expect at least one.

David Wilson — NumberFire has Wilson getting 15.05 carries for 54.78 yards and .34 rushing touchdowns. They also have him catching 2.77 passes for 19.31 yards. I am keeping Wilson on the bench this week if I have a viable option to start over him, but if I don’t I would expect 12 carries for 63 yards and 2 catches for 14 yards. I am not selling him just yet and have seen running backs bounce back from similar disasters.

Victor Cruz Salsa

Victor Cruz — NumberFire has Cruz getting 5.75 receptions, 76.72 yards, and .41 touchdowns. I have Cruz once again having a big week as he will be matched up against a sub-par pair of safeties and more than likely the fourth corner on the team. I have Cruz catching 8 balls for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Hakeem Nicks — NumberFire has Nicks getting 5.24 receptions, 60.12 yards, and .31 touchdowns. I think Nicks showed in week one that he was sleep walking through the preseason. He looked very good even in a tough matchup against Brandon Carr and I expect a bigger game from him in week two. I have Nicks catching 7 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Rueben Randle — NumberFire has Randle catching 2.60 balls for 40.45 yards and .14 touchdowns. I think we were all pleasantly surprised at how quickly Randle became a big piece of the Giants passing attack against the Cowboys in week one. I have Randle catching 4 passes for 65 yards and no touchdowns.

Brandon Myers — NumberFire has Myers catching 3.70 passes for 40.14 yards and .22 touchdowns. The Ravens really worked their tight ends against the Broncos in week one, but I think that had more to do with the fact that they are very thin at wide receiver. I like that Myers was able to show a nice rapport with Eli at the end of the game against the Cowboys and I think that could carry over to this week. I have Myers catching 5 passes for 56 yards and no touchdowns.

Wilson is not the only running back whoneeds to bounce back from a disappointing week one.  Stevan Ridley found himself benched after fumbling twice when he was expected to put up huge fantasy numbers against the Bills.  Shane Vereen filled in for Ridley and was the only running back to top 100 yards rushing on Sunday, but wound up breaking a bone in his wrist.   C.J. Spiller, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Lamar Miller all had nightmare starts to their seasons and hope to get back on track week two.

If you need any last minute fantasy advice make sure to follow me on Twitter @Coachesser or like my Facebook page CoachEsser’s Playbook so that you can message me at any time. You can also see all of my latest podcasts and articles by visiting www.coachesser.com.

This post originally appeared at www.bigblueview.com on September 11th 2013.

Read More

Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit

Fantasy drafts are finally behind us and now it’s time to put on our best managerial hats and make sure we don’t leave fantasy points on the bench. Nothing drives you more nuts then when you see a matchup that screams huge fantasy production, yet you don’t make the appropriate lineup changes. For example, a reader sent me a start/sit question that screamed matchup play. This particular reader needed advice on who to start as their third wide receiver for week 1 between Steve Smith and Lance Moore. Without looking at the schedule some might say, ” I drafted Steve Smith in the sixth round and Lance Moore in the ninth round, so I should obviously start Smith.” Wrong! Steve Smith is facing the Seattle Seahawks Defense and Lance Moore is playing at home on turf in an expected shootout against the Atlanta Falcons. It might be Moore’s best matchup of the season. Playing the matchups at your flex position or third wide receiver will win you a championship.

Eli Manning

Eli Manning: 23-of-34, 264 Yards, 3 TDs

Eli Manning and Kevin Gilbride had to hit the film room to try and get handle on on what to expect from Monte Kiffin’s new 4-3 defense in Dallas. While Kiffin has been out of the NFL the last few years, his core defensive principals are still being used around the league. The key to beating Monte Kiffin’s best defenses was always taking what the defense was willing to give. Exploiting the areas between the deep safeties and linebackers and keeping the chains moving. The last thing you want to do against a Kiffin defense is to get into too many third and longs. I think Eli will be able to work the middle of the field with a combination of Victor Cruz and Brandon Myers and exploit Dallas’s weakness at the safety position. I have Eli as a borderline QB1 for week one and a definite start in 2QB leagues.

David Wilson: 21 carries, 88 yards, 2 receptions 23 yards, 0 TDs

The New York Giants running game will be a little hard to predict out of the gate against the Dallas Cowboys this season. The reshuffled offensive line mixed with some question marks because of injuries further cloud the actual production that should be expected. If Henry Hynoski and David Baas were healthy Wilson may be a top 10 start against the Cowboys, but for now we have to temper our expectations just a bit. I would only keep Wilson on the bench this week if I had started a draft with three straight running backs, or if the league was a full point PPR league where Wilson was my third running back.

Victor Cruz (If Healthy): 8 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD

Victor Cruz is the best chess piece that Gilbride and Manning possess going against Dallas this week. His ability to threaten the entire middle of the field from settling in behind the linebackers to driving past safeties can make a defensive coordinator have nightmares.  In a typical “Tampa Two” look the middle linebacker will have deep middle in certain situations and that could be a nightmare for Sean Lee as Victor Cruz blows by him. I have Cruz as one of the best wide receiver plays this week as long as his bruised heel cooperates.

Hakeem Nicks: 4 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD

Nicks is a bit of a conundrum. He is the guy that made Jerry Jones open up his wallet to sign Brandon Carr and draft Morris Claiborne, but is he still that guy?  I have a feeling Hakeem is going to have a very good year this season, but I don’t think this is the ideal matchup for his skill set. If his quickness is there he could find the void between the corner and the safety by beating the Dallas corners at the line of scrimmage, but the odds are slightly against him. I still have him in the top 20 as far as matchups this week, but he is more of a flex play then WR2.

Brandon Myers

Brandon Myers: 6 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

Brandon Myers and Manning didn’t exactly inspire confidence in the preseason, but the matchup in week 1 screams tight end production. Myers should be able to exploit the middle of the field and the flats to put up tight end 1 numbers after being almost invisible in the preseason. NumberFire has Brandon Myers as their number seven tight end for week 1 and I think that sounds about right after looking at the macthups.

Rueben Randle: 4 receptions, 52 yards, 0 TDs

While Randle is an important part of what the Giants offense there are too many other good wide receiver matchups around the league to think that Randle should be in anyone’s week 1 fantasy lineup.  I like Randle’s long term outlook, but his immediate value is only in the deepest of leagues.

 

For any of your last minute Fantasy Football questions follow me on Twitter @Coachesser or message me by liking my Facebook Page CoachEsser’s Playbook.  If you need start/sit advice fast go to my website www.coachesser.com and use my start/sit widget powered by NumberFire.

Read More
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top