2015
Week 1 – @ Dallas – L 26-27
QB: Lost TOP badly. Manning not great in this one and receivers weren’t doing him any favors. Pressure forced him into bad throws. I would expect they’ll fix this as they have in recent seasons.
RB: Jennings a good game and still looks good as a runner. Vereen a good receiving game. Williams still not good. Jennings should be consistent as long as he’s healthy. Does need a better line.
WR: Beckham popped hard on first catch and was clearly rattled, possibly dinged up a bit. Bad game by his standards but he’ll be fine going forward. Randle did little. Need more out of him to take coverage away from Beckham.
TE: Fells and Donnell combined for not a lot. Look similar and will probably be a TE committee as long as both stay healthy. Will be hard to play either in fantasy as long as that continues.
OL: Still a weakness on this team. Did okay for run game but not great in protection. Have to hope the team makes similar changes to scheme to mask it.
Def: Pretty bad, especially against the pass. Just did nothing well to stop the air attack. Got hit all over the field on throws. Got torched by TE and gave up good games everywhere else.
Week 2 – vs Atlanta – L 20-24
QB: Manning looked pretty good and made some awesome throws. Should be strong moving forward if he keeps up that accuracy.
RB: Looked bad except for one big run. Vereen was a PPR stud in this one. Jennings had very little opportunity because of blocking. Could be indicative of how this season will play out for these guys.
WR: Beckham a monster and made a bunch of ridiculous catches again. Just unstoppable at times. Not trusting any other WR on this team for now. Randle just isn’t doing enough.
TE: Donnell nabbed a TD but will continue to be inconsistent like last season. It just seems to be what he is.
OL: Did no favors for run game. Was protecting fairly well. Has to get better for run game to matter at all, especially for Jennings.
Def: Good game stopping the run despite 2 short TDs. Torched by good passing game. Gave up good games to everyone. Coverage just isn’t good coupled with lack of pass rush.
Week 3 – vs Washington – W 32-21
QB: Manning a nice game and had easy time against terrible passing D. A good start with match ups like this, as usual.
RB: Three headed monster. Touches were split but no one was great against tough D. Williams got the TD but he just isn’t that good. Jennings and Vereen are the players that could be monsters if injuries get them more touches.
WR: Randle a huge game and Beckham a good game as well. Not surprising considering opponent. Both will be viable in match ups like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if Randle stays the #2 once Cruz gets healthy.
TE: Fells and Donnell split touches. They’re only usable if the match up is good and one is injured. Can’t really fully trust otherwise.
OL: Solid game against pretty good front. Didn’t do a ton for run game but protected well. Just not good enough to handle better D fronts.
Def: Okay game against average O. They’re making plays but the talent isn’t great. Contained fairly well. Other than junk time, only gave up good game to TE. Held rest to relatively little.
Week 4 – @ Buffalo – W 24-10
QB: Manning a good game and handled the blitz really well. Accuracy wasn’t excellent in this one but limited the mistakes.
RB: Jennings a good game but it mostly came on one play. Still looks like the best back on this team with Vereen a close second and Williams a distant third. Williams led in carries and I have no idea why that happens.
WR: Beckham held to very below average game. Just didn’t get enough looks in this one but still looked amazing. Randle a TD but little else. A serviceable #2 but too hard to trust for fantasy.
TE: Donnell an okay PPR game but wasn’t great. Just not a big play-maker.
OL: Looked excellent considering opponent. Run blocking was solid and pass protection was far better than expected. A+ game for them.
Def: Played pretty well. Stopped the run. Contained the passing game to mostly shorter plays. Pass rush was very good. Looked very disciplined. Gave up good games to receiving RB and TE.
Week 5 – vs SF – W 30-27
QB: Manning a huge game and had an easy time against weak D. Did make some great throws in this one along with a couple bad ones. Is a stud when the match up calls for heavy passing.
RB: Jennings an okay game and got the most carries. Still looks fine and should continue getting touches. Vereen a big game doing a ton of damage receiving. Made great plays when he had room to run after the catch and is as sure-handed as any RB. Great PPR play if match up is right.
WR: Beckham a huge game and looked like a superstar again. It’s just unfair when he plays against a bad D like this. Randle an average game as ball was spread out a ton. Not sure there is a match up where I would trust him.
TE: Donnell a good game making a fantastic TD grab. Not a ton of yards but great PPR game. Still a good match up play.
OL: Run blocking was shaky, at best. Opened up some holes but failed around the goal line. Pass protection was excellent.
Def: Was average overall. Got hit with some medium distance plays but avoided any long killers. Pass rush was okay. Gave up good games to RB and #1 WR.
2014
Week 1 – @ Detroit – L 14-35
QB: Manning was almost never able to step into a throw because of rush. Pocket kept collapsing from all sides. This will likely be the case most of the season. Line is probably worst in the league still.
RB: Jennings managed a good game because of receiving. No space to run. Same for Williams. Might be slightly better against a weaker defensive front, but only slightly.
WR: Cruz and Randle were huge disappointments. This will continue as long as Manning doesn’t have time to throw. More of the same from last season from these guys.
TE: Donnell was top receiver for the team and looked pretty good. Not a bad option but, like the rest of the team, production likely to be erratic.
OL: Faced a tough front but still the worst in the league, it seems. Can’t pass or run block. Not likely to get much better.
Def: Did a good job against the run. Was getting good penetration. Torched by passing game. Like most teams, had no one to stop Megatron. Did hold TEs to very little. Looks like good front, average DBs.
Week 2 – vs Arizona – L 14-25
QB: Manning got better protection but drops and tipped balls hurt. Could have had a really big day. Throws were really good.
RB: Jennings and Williams couldn’t get much going on the ground because of blocking. Rarely got by D-line. Jennings did have a nice game receiving.
WR: Cruz had some nice catches then some terrible drops. Randle had an impressive TD grab giving him a good game. Manning gets them the ball down field when he has time. Just won’t happen often.
TE: Donnell was excellent. Leading receiver and had some highlight catches. Could be a top 10 PPR TE since he’ll be getting a ton of short throws because of bad O-line.
OL: Much improved pass blocking but still not great. Run blocking was terrible. Still an awful unit.
Def: Gave up big chunks on the ground. Pass D was good but looked better because of bad QB play. Would have been worse against starting QB. Pass rush by D-line was pretty good but not great.
Week 3 – vs Houston – W 30-17
QB: Manning was very strong. Rushed a few throws that he didn’t need to but accuracy was excellent. Pass rush was average and clearly didn’t bother him too much.
RB: Jennings had a monster game. Tore through the D getting some amazing blocking. Rarely even touched by a D-lineman. Williams didn’t look good on his carries. Looked kind of too slow.
WR: Cruz looked great, busting a long play on a slant and also getting a nice TD after making a spectacular move. Looked like his old self. Randle caught a bunch of short passes with no room to run. Parker was solid on his catches.
TE: Donnell continues to look like a great pass-catcher. Fells got a nice TD but Donnell is the star. Makes great plays in the middle of the field and can move. Fearless going after the ball.
OL: Improving. Run blocking was dominant. Looked like a different unit making huge holes and blocking down field. Pass blocking was above average. Handled blitzing and rush better than expected.
Def: Was giving up a lot on the ground but lead helped stop that. Got some picks but wasn’t able to stop Hopkins. Coverage was there sometimes but got outfought.
Week 4 – @ Washington – W 45-14
QB: Eli looked good using a lot of quick-strike throws and actually getting more time to throw than expected. Might have trouble with a team that bumps WRs at the line.
RB: Jennings solid but Williams was given a ton of carries late in mop-up time and had the better game. Williams still doesn’t look great. Looks like a big drop off between the two.
WR: Cruz and Randle both good games but no TDs. Beginning to look like solid options again. Still wouldn’t trust against a good D.
TE: Donnell had a monster game with 3 TDs. Made great catches and has a chance to finish top 5 at TE now. A must-start regardless of match-up at this point. Fells also got another TD but irrelevant while Donnell is healthy.
OL: Still not great. Quick-strike stuff helped them look good. Run blocking was pretty good against average D.
Def: Got 6 TOs but most were just awful throws by QB. Gave up chunks on the ground but lead limited carries. Held WRs to very little.
Week 5 – vs Atlanta – W 30-20
QB: Eli solid but having a lead led to a lot of runs. Is actually getting a lot of time to throw down field right now. Might not against better Ds.
RB: Jennings looked good but got hurt. Williams had good numbers but YPC wasn’t too impressive. Line was partially to blame but Jennings looks to stay the starter for now, assuming health.
WR: Beckham had good game in debut and looked pretty good. Randle was good with the TD. Cruz was held to very little. Parker decent again. Probably going to lose some targets now to Beckham.
TE: Donnell completely shutout. Didn’t get many targets. Coverage was there for him and not as there for others. They clearly keyed on him a bit
OL: Decent game against below-average D. Neither type of blocking was great but did the job against this team.
Def: Pretty good against the run in this one despite getting run on a little early. Gave up big game to WR Jones and got obliterated through the air by RBs (13-164-1). Held bad TE to zero.
Week 6 – @ Philly – L 0-27
QB: Bad O-line reared its ugly head again and Manning suffered because of it. Had no time to throw down field and couldn’t step into anything. Have to be scared of this again until the O-line improves.
RB: Jennings DNP. Williams got hit in backfield a ton and showed little. Has a lot of power but still needs blocking and got none.
WR: Cruz injured and likely done for the year. Randle was solid but will draw more coverage now. Beckham only 2 catches but clearly a special player. A great pick up if the line problems can be solved.
TE: Donnell disappoints again against weak D. Have to bench for now until he shows he can do it again. Losing Cruz should up his targets but he might also be blocking more.
OL: Atrocious. Gave up a ton of sacks and couldn’t handle pressure up the middle. Opened nothing for run game. Wouldn’t start anyone on this team in fantasy until they show they aren’t this bad.
Def: Gashed by the run all game and wasn’t getting to QB enough. Got a couple of easy picks off bad throws by QB. Held Maclin in check but gave up decent games to other WRs and 8 catches, 100+ yards, and 2 TDs to TEs.
Week 7 – @ Dallas – L 21-31
QB: Manning a big game but blocking was bad again. Had to have happy feet to avoid sacks. Made a lot of quick/short throws to get the ball out.
RB: Williams unimpressive. Can’t run when blocking isn’t there, team loses TOP battle, and is chasing points. No catches which is a big concern if this team continues to lose.
WR: Randle looked good making some good catches on the shorter throws. Beckham 2 TDs and was pretty impressive. Both are great plays when they are chasing points.
TE: Donnell finally had another good game but lost 2 fumbles. Fells got another TD and might cut into Donnell’s time because of the fumbles. Might want to wait and see on these guys.
OL: Awful again. Pressure didn’t really come up the middle like previous week and they still couldn’t block at times. Offense was adjusted to cover it.
Def: Got dominated, especially by elite O-line. Couldn’t stop the run and wasn’t getting much of a pass rush. Gave up huge games to RB, QB, #1 WR, and #2 TE.
Week 8 – Bye
Week 9 – vs Indianapolis – L 24-40
QB: Manning was rushed all game and struggled at times but still a big fantasy game. Could hardly step into a throw.
RB: Williams got a TD but little else. Line couldn’t open much for him. Hillis a decent game mostly due to receiving. Not trusting but worth noting.
WR: Beckham a big game catching a ton of balls and doing a lot after the catch. Looked like the best offensive option on this team right now. Randle decent against tough match up. Might get more in coming weeks as coverage leans a little more toward Beckham.
TE: Donnell a good game making a nice TD grab. Not much else but made his catches when they counted.
OL: Still awful. Terrible run blocking and couldn’t stop the blitz getting through at all. Killing this team now.
Def: Was getting run on for a bunch early but not many runs despite big lead. Torched by passing game. Gave up big games to WRs and TEs. Should have had some INTs but just didn’t make plays.
Week 10 – @ Seattle – L 17-38
QB: Manning an okay fantasy game against tough D on the road but still having line issues, especially when pressure comes up the middle. Can’t see this changing much.
RB: Williams a good game because of TD but did little else. If Cox hadn’t got hurt, he might have lost the job. Will not be the starter when Jennings returns anyway.
WR: Beckham and Parker big games. Randle a decent PPR game but isn’t doing a lot. Sherman was on Beckham a lot so no excuse for Randle right now. Beckham looks incredible right now as well.
TE: Donnell did little. Just can’t trust anymore. Look for more consistent options.
OL: Still struggling badly with pass protection. Just isn’t a good unit and will have games where they get exposed like this. Run blocking also bad in this one.
Def: Looked good against the pass but not much passing needed. Curb-stomped by the running game. Gave up, likely, the biggest game of the season by a non-QB to RB. Also huge running game for QB and decent games by #2 RB and #2 WR.
Week 11 – vs SF – L 10-16
QB: Manning was atrocious. Just awful throws as O-line couldn’t block.
RB: Jennings returned and looked okay but blocking wasn’t great. Should be better against weaker Ds.
WR: Randle a big game and looked solid. Beckham is a star and also had good game. Has a crazy amount of talent but can’t use it if QB doesn’t have time to throw.
TE: Donnell another big game. Looks so good at times that it is baffling how he disappears.
OL: Still horrific. Didn’t give up many sacks but only because of veteran QB. Would have given up double-digit sacks otherwise. Run blocking was average, at best, against tough match up.
Def: Played really well against the pass. Was rushing QB and covering well. Not great against the run as runners were getting a little more after every hit. Gave up good games to #1 WR and RB. Held rest in check.
Week 12 – vs Dallas – L 28-31
QB: Manning got better blocking than expected and had big game. Receivers made some great plays for him.
RB: Jennings a good game, especially in PPR. Williams got short TD but little else. Still looks like he was over-hyped.
WR: Beckham a monster game adding the greatest catch ever. Couldn’t be covered and looks unstoppable. Randle did little and was overshadowed.
TE: Donnell did little in another good match up. Fells came away with slightly better numbers but neither can be trusted as a top TE. Far too risky.
OL: Played fairly well in pass protection. Below-average run blocking. Would have been worse against better D.
Def: Played terrible at home. Got dominated by elite O-line and couldn’t stop passing game. Gave up huge games to QB and #1 WR and good game to RB, #3 WR, and TE.
Week 13 – @ Jacksonville – L 24-25
QB: Manning rushed and hit plenty this game. Had little time to throw down field. Accuracy was okay and drops hurt a little.
RB: Jennings a huge game and looked great. Really great play when the match up is good like this, especially with the receiving ability. Williams is not a threat to him.
WR: Beckham another good game and just can’t be covered right now. Ton of talent. Randle an okay game but taking a backseat now to Beckham.
TE: Donnell lost another fumble but had decent fantasy game. Not sure how much longer he’ll get throws over Fells because of the TOs.
OL: Still bad but run blocking was solid against average D. Pass protection is awful. Amazing Eli is still healthy.
Def: Burned by a couple big plays but really strong otherwise. Held their own all game except for containing QB runs. Gave up big game to #3 WR. Held everything else in check.
Week 14 – @ Tennessee – W 36-7
QB: Manning an average game as running game dominated with lead. Could (and should) have done a lot more against terrible D.
RB: Jennings hurt and barely played. Williams looked good against awful D. Ran hard but have to see it against a stronger defense.
WR: Beckham is off-the-charts incredible. If the O-line improves, he might be a top 5 WR next season. Speed and agility is phenomenal. Randle did very little as run game took over.
TE: Donnell did little. Can’t trust at all and doesn’t seem like he’ll ever repeat the start of the season success.
OL: Terrible D made terrible O-line look elite. Really good game but not buying into this.
Def: Helped by atrocious O. Gave up practically nothing. Hard to read anything into this one.
Week 15 – vs Washington – W 24-13
QB: Manning a big game and was protected well. Got time and just outplayed D.
RB: Jennings hurt early. Williams average and still doesn’t look like a great rusher.
WR: Starting to believe Beckham is the best WR in the league and it’s starting to not look close. Absolute freak and a monster game. Can’t be single covered. Randle did little and there’s no reason to throw him the ball right now.
TE: Donnell did little and just doesn’t look like much now. A flash in the pan and he’s done for fantasy purposes.
OL: Really good game against tough D-line. Wasn’t great run blocking but the pass protection was very good.
Def: Helped by bad QB play. Pass rush was good. Contained the run except QB scrambles. Gave up no good games.
Week 16 – @ St. Louis – W 37-27
QB: Manning a huge game using a ton of quick-hit throws to negate any pass rush. Has the best weapon in football and is using him to the fullest.
RB: Williams a good game numbers-wise but a lot came on one play. Was being stuffed the rest of the time against tough front. Darkwa a nice TD run but looks like he runs too upright.
WR: Beckham another monster game and still waiting on someone that can come close to covering him. Randle a big game and should be able to do this more as teams shift coverage to Beckham.
TE: Donnell an average game and just doesn’t look all that great. A decent TE but the start of the season was clearly a fluke.
OL: Helped by quick-hit passing game. Wasn’t great run blocking either. Still in need of off-season upgrades.
Def: Got run on but lead limited carries. Pass rush wasn’t great and neither was coverage. Gave up good games to basically every position despite winning TOP handily.
Week 17 – vs Philly – L 26-34
QB: Manning hurt by a few drops but still a big game. Came close to more than 1 TD but had guys tackled inside the 5. Blocking was strong throughout.
RB: Williams a good game getting a short TD and similar receiving numbers to Jennings. Jennings didn’t get much on the ground. Hard to say who will start next season but Jennings is still the better player.
WR: Beckham another monster game. Has had some good match ups but should still be in consideration as #1 overall PPR pick. Randle a big game as well and benefited from great match up.
TE: Donnell looked terrible again. Wouldn’t be surprised if team gets a different starter for next season. Just isn’t that good.
OL: Better than expected, especially in pass protection. Run blocking was average but still a lot to be desired.
Def: Pressured fairly well but more QB’s fault. Didn’t stop the run at all. Coverage wasn’t very good. Gave up good games to RBs, QB, and #2 WR. Decent games to others.
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