We are in for a treat tonight folks. The New York Giants travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles.
And just when we thought we have had some horrible matchups on Thursday night football, the NFL gives us this dud of a game from the NFC East.
The NFC East itself is a crap show if we ever saw one.
At 2-4 the Dallas Cowboys are leading the pack.
Tonight, we have a battle of one-win teams as the 1-4-1 Eagles look to best the 1-5 Giants.
The last team in the East is none other than Washington, sitting with a 1-5 record as well.
It doesn’t get any uglier than this for a Thursday night matchup, but we still have a few key elements to watch for.
Wentz Getting Into a Groove?
The Eagles are coming off a big game against the Ravens. While they are only 1-4-1 (with that stupid tie) their last two games haven’t been horrible.
They lost by nine to an undefeated Steelers team. Then they pushed the Ravens to the brink with a two-point loss.
And better yet, the team’s wide receivers are getting healthy, and that may be what Carson Wentz needs to get in a groove.
He threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns against one of the league’s best defenses in Baltimore. He did the same thing the week before against another top ranked D in the Steelers, but the two interceptions killed him.
Now he gets a soft matchup against one of the worst defenses in the lead as the Giants come to Philly.
It’s a get right game for the Eagles if there ever was one. We just have to see if Wentz is finally up for the challenge.
Daniel Jones a Leading Rusher…
It’s not every day that the stat line picks up a quarterback as a leading rusher, but without Saquon Barkley and always playing from behind, the Giants have managed to see their quarterback become the leading rusher heading into tonight’s game – Daniel Jones.
The sad part is he leads the Eagles backs as well – not combined, but on an individual basis.
He isn’t a stud like Cam Newton, who is pegged as the key rusher to watch in New England’s game, but he has been racking up some yards.
So far, Jones has turned 27 carries into over 200 scoreless yards.
It’s safe to say he isn’t running just for the heck of it, but they have struggled pushing the ball down the field and the defenses have forced him to make plays with his legs.
Both teams are still trying to solidify their ground game after being dealt injuries to their starting running backs. Look for someone to step up tonight and be the difference maker in this game.
Fantasy Players on the Highlight Reel
It’s slim pickings tonight as far as fantasy goes, but there’s a few key players to watch.
The Eagles are getting back deep threat DeSean Jackson. While he is past his prime, and had a quiet year, he can still stretch the field so look for him to snag a deep ball or two tonight.
Travis Fulgham has been a hot waiver wire pickup these past couple of weeks, but with DeSean coming back and possibly playing with a lead tonight, there is a chance he doesn’t see a huge number of targets. He’ll have to make do with whatever comes his way, but as the Eagles wide receivers, tight ends and running backs are all healthy, we’ll see how much he stays in the mix.
Their running backs have potential for a breakout game today, particularly Boston Scott. With Miles Sanders out with a knee injury, it’s any mans opportunity to step in and make some plays. They could be in for a big game as they look to control the clock once they get a lead.
Even though the Giants brought in Devonta Freeman, it was Jones running for his life against Washington last week. He totaled 74 yards on seven carries while Freeman, the workhorse, got 18 carries that went for 61 yards. The only downside to Freeman is that he isn’t involved in the passing game at all. This hurts his fantasy value as the Giants look to be playing catchup in most of their matchups.
None of the Giants receivers are worth starting. Even though they air it out, it doesn’t lead to huge numbers. And if it is a close game, they are not taking chances. Last week, Jones only attempted 19 passes, completing 12. Only one receiver had more than two catches, but still only had 15 yards. It’s a receiving core to avoid for now.
That’s all for today.
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To profitable bets,
Ryan
CEO, Daily Sports Bets
