Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 15: Eli Manning

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Fantasy Football Start or Sit: Is Eli Manning worth a spot start this week for your fantasy football team?

With the fantasy football playoffs in full swing, roster decisions are even more important than usual. Who to start and sit will determine if you will advance in the playoffs, or if your season will end prematurely. The game between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins has little impact on the NFL, but is important to fantasy football owners. One player who has been the topic of conversation is Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning. Is he worth starting for your fantasy football team this week?

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Manning hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard in terms of fantasy recently, throwing only five touchdowns in the last three weeks; three of which came against the Dallas Cowboys. In plus matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, Manning averaged only 253.5 yards and two total touchdowns, throwing one interception as well. Those aren’t very encouraging numbers, but their opponent in Week 14, the Washington Redskins, gives hope for a strong Manning performance.

In the first matchup this season against the Redskins Manning had a monster game. He completed 28-39 passes for 300 yards, throwing four touchdowns. He had a fluke interception when the ball was ripped out of Rueben Randle’s hands that could have easily been his fifth passing touchdown of the game, but made up for it with a rushing touchdown. Five scores and 300 yards gave Manning a whopping 32.1 fantasy points.

It was by far the best performance fantasy wise for Manning on the season, and a performance that could be within reach again. In the first meeting Larry Donnell was the bigbest beneficiary of Manning’s touchdowns, catching three of them. This time around Manning will also have the pleasure of throwing the ball to rookie sensation Odell Beckham Jr., who was not yet active in the first matchup Week 4. He gives Manning another weapon to pick apart a weak Redskins secondary.

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On the season the Redskins have given up 281.8 yards per game, and 10 touchdowns in their last four. The Redskins are also the worst team against quarterbacks in fantasy football, surrendering the most points to opposing quarterbacks through 14 weeks. There has been three 30+ point performances scored against them by Manning, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck. Only one quarterback, Brandon Weeden, didn’t reach double-digit points; oh yeah, that is right, Weeden only played two drives and still managed 6.76 points.

Those are poor numbers for the Redskins pass defense, making Manning a viable option this week for your fantasy football lineup. Deploy him with confidence, as the Giants will get up for the game. Even with a losing record and no playoffs coming this season, a divisional game is still something no team ever wants to lose and the Giants will be ready to play. If you’re looking for help this week at the quarterback position for your team, look no further than Manning.