Eli Manning has an opportunity to be a top-10 QB in 2015
Ready to break up with Eli Manning as your fantasy football starter? Not so fast. Here’s why there’s plenty of hope for Eli as a top-10 fantasy QB with upside in 2015.
Eli Manning was drafted near the end of RD6 in 12-team leagues last season, coming off the board 77th overall as the 13th-ranked QB, just outside starting territory. By the end of the season, Manning was the 11th-overall QB in fantasy, and 2015 looks even brighter.
Consider that Manning’s No. 1 WR, rookie sensation Odell Beckham Jr., managed 91 receptions for 1305 yards and 12 touchdowns over only 12 games. Additionally, Victor Cruz played in only six games before being sidelined by a gruesome knee injury. Cruz has never performed as advertised, but he’s still a trusted target for Manning when playing in the slot. Plus, when Beckham Jr. is on the field, everyone else gets open. Yes, he’s that good.
Moreover, the Giants’ backfield struggled to find consistency in 2014, with Rashad Jennings only playing in 11 of 16 games and rookie Andre Williams stepping in at RB before he was ready. As a result, Williams looked lost on the field at times. This also prevented him from being an option in the passing game.
Looking ahead, the Giants have added Shane Vereen, formerly of the Patriots. Vereen is a very viable pass-catching threat out of the backfield. The more a QB throw the ball to RBs, the fewer interceptions he’s likely to accrue.
Odell Beckham Jr. + Victor Cruz + Shane Vereen = A bounce-back fantasy outlook for Eli Manning in 2015.
Manning is easily a top-10 QB with top-5 upside. He’s also in a contract year, which never hurts for players to outperform expectations.
Draft Eli Manning a full round earlier than last year, early RD5 in 12-team leagues.
Isaac Leicht is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Isaac, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Fantasy_Dude.
