Monday Night Football preview: What to expect fantasy-wise from Eagles vs Giants

The New York Giants

The Giants’ offensive line could hardly keep Daniel Jones upright against mid-tier competition. Jones’ bum ankle is bad enough to keep him out of Monday night’s matchup though, setting the stage for The Return of Eli Manning. Manning’s glacial pocket mobility is far worse than the spry, young Jones. The possibility that the Eagles’ defensive line approaches double digit sacks here is not out of the question. Manning’s performance is likely to be bad enough that viewers reach for the remote before the 1st-half is over. He’s our second-to-last ranked passer in Week 14. That being said, it is possible that the underrated (and oft-injured) Giants’ receiving corps buoys Manning into the mid-to-low box score range. Still the likelihood that Manning gets rag-dolled into 3-and-outs, followed by desperate, early-down picks later in the game is far too high.

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The wildcard aspect of this game is Philadelphia’s appalling secondary. It’s possible the New York pass catchers get loose here and there. Golden Tate III’s slot responsibilities should keep him in flex contention with PPR-based upside, as Manning is likely to look his way to negate some of Philly’s pass rush. Similarly, Sterling Shepard still garners flex consideration but banking on a ceiling game would be foolhardy. Darius Slayton is a good bet for a goose egg in this one. Manning will need time in the pocket in order to look for the downfield specialist -- an outcome we cannot bank on.

Making matters worse, No. 1 and 2 tight ends, Evan Engram and Rhett Ellisson are both Out. 6th-Round rookie tight end Kaden Smith has surprisingly finished 5th (Week 12) and T-10th (Week 13) in .5PPR TE scoring over the last two weeks. Garnering respectable target numbers in the process. He offers zero floor/high ceiling return in this one. Consider him a true TE1/2 roulette play.

Saquon Barkley comes in as this week’s overall RB7. This is a very tough matchup but he should see a large workload -- especially via the passing game. It’s entirely possible he turns in a ho-hum Standard scoring performance but racks up 10 catches on emergency dump-offs, making him significantly safer in PPR leagues.

The Philadelphia Eagles

If you’ve got a prominent Eagle on your roster, fire him up. The Giants’ lone defensive strength has been covering opposing tight ends. Strong safety Jabrill Peppers is Out with a back injury though, so it’s hunting season for both Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert.

In turn, that makes life easier on veteran perimeter receiver Alshon Jeffery, who should face minimal target competition from the other receivers. Nelson Agholor’s knee is bad enough that he’s a true game-time call. Agholor should not be counted on, regardless of if he’s active. JJ Arcega-Whiteside’s role should somewhat expand but he can’t be counted on as more than a Hail Mary 2nd-flex. In sum, both tight ends are legitimate TE1 options, with the elder Ertz slightly ahead of the young Goedert. Jeffery is a high-end WR2 with back-end WR1 upside.

Adding it all up, Carson Wentz finds himself as this week’s overall QB13. It’s been an up-and-down year for Wentz but he’s an excellent streaming option who can easily scoot into the Top 12 for a QB1 finish.

As we’ve said for weeks now, nerve injuries like the stinger that Jordan Howard suffered in his shoulder can last for weeks if they do not immediately -- meaning seconds to minutes -- dissipate. There’s no firm timeline for when he’ll return but he hasn’t even be cleared for contact yet. He will not play this week and it’s safe to assume he won’t make next week’s game either. This, of course, bodes very well for RB Miles Sanders’ outlook. New York’s run defense is nothing to write home about. Consider Sanders to be in an eerily similar situation as his quarterback. Sanders walks into Monday night ranked as the 13th overall running back in this week’s tiered rankings. He’s got a smooth path to leapfrog one of the Top 12 RB1s en route to an RB1 finish. Jay Ajayi has been, and will continue to be, completely irrelevant.