FANTASY FOOTBALL IN-SEASON FEATURES

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Prediction: NO 20, NYG 24 Line: (NYG by 5)

Players Updated: Ahmad Bradshaw

Players to Watch: Marques Colston, Eli Manning

This will be a great game to watch. The 5-7 Saints have lost two games and are 2-4 on the road. The 7-5 Giants come off a Monday night loss to the Skins and are 4-2 at home.

The Saints won 49-24 when the Giants visited in week 12 last year.

Pregame Notes: Just when it seemed that the Saints were pulling themselves back up into contention they drop the last two games and at 5-7 need to win three of the next four games just to reach .500. Problem is that the next three opponents are all vying for a wildcard or better and won't be laying down and two are road trips to Dallas and New York to face the Giants. The Saints defense has improved from a horrible start to the year but the offense struggles more against top defenses now and overall - they just are not good enough this year.

Drew Brees finally did not score a touchdown for the first time in a record breaking 58 games and that comes on the heels of nine straight games with more than one touchdown in each. Brees still threw for 341 yards in Atlanta but was intercepted a record five times. Going against the softer Giants secondary should be good for a bounce back performance.

The improved rushing was still evident last week only this time Mark Ingram was held to only 13 yards on six carries and Pierre Thomas finally turned in a nice effort with 84 yards on 14 runs. Thomas has only scored once all year and was on a nine game streak of sub-50 yard performances. Ingram still managed to run in a score last week but he needs a home game against a really weak opponent to merit any fantasy consideration.

Jimmy Graham has also gone cold in the last three weeks. He scored in Oakland but only gained 29 yards on six catches. In the last two weeks it has been four catches in each game for either 33 or 59 yards and no score. Very pedestrian stats for a tight end who was posting huge yardage last year.

No changes to the wideouts other than Lance Moore coming off a season best 123 yards on seven catches when he had been stuck around 60 yards in most recent games. Marques Colston hasn't gained more than 71 yards in the last six games. The Saints offense has struggled in recent weeks but that was facing two top defenses in the Falcons and 49ers. This week should prove far kinder to the passing effort.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
QB Drew Brees, NO	CAR	0	0	0	0	0	320	2	0
Brees has his final game of the year and it comes at home. He's a lock for solid yardage and at least one score but the rushing effort should come into play this week as it always does against CAR. Brees is a must start regardless but may not be as prolific this week as he is in most.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB Darren Sproles, NO	CAR	10	0	7	70	1	0	0	0
Sproles had his biggest game of the year in the last meeting with the Panthers when he caught 13 passes for 128 yards. He's a solid play this week and always benefits from the good corner play of the Panthers that forces Brees to check down to him.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB Mark Ingram, NO	CAR	70	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ingram has been on a roll for the last month and was good for 16-53 and one score versus the Panthers in week two. He's getting 13 carries every week now and faces the weakness of the Panthers defense.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Marques Colston, NO	CAR	0	0	4	50	0	0	0	0
Colston was held to only 3-49 in the last meeting and CAR has allowed only one TD to a WR over the last five road games. Rely on moderate yardage here and anything more would be unusual for the Panthers to allow.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Lance Moore, NO	CAR	0	0	4	40	0	0	0	0
Moore was held to 2-30 in the last meeting with CAR and he's too inconsistent to merit a fantasy start anyway.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
TE Jimmy Graham, NO	CAR	0	0	5	70	1	0	0	0
Graham turned in 7-71 and a TD in the last meeting but has been butterfingers for the last two months because of his wrist. The Panthers gave up a score to a TE in the last two road games and Graham is due. He's a must start every week regardless.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
TE Benjamin Watson, NO	CAR	0	0	3	30	0	0	0	0
Not a recommended start anyway and with a potential starting QB from the practice squad even less.

	Opp	fga	FGM	xpa	XPM	ConFac
K Garrett Hartley, NO	CAR	3	3	3	3
Nice start for Hartley against a team that ranks in the bottom five against kickers.

Pregame Notes: And right back into the tired arm syndrome. After not posting any touchdowns for three weeks with marginal yardage in each, Eli Manning seemed rejuvenated after the bye week when he passed for three scores on the Packers. Last Monday against the weak Redskins secondary, he only managed one touchdown pass and his 280 pass yards were mostly in the first half. Now the Giants are only one game ahead of the Redskins and Cowboys with two road trips left against division leaders of the Falcons and Ravens.

The Giants turned to a run-heavy attack in the second half despite their earlier success throwing last week and that allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to gain 103 yards on 24 carries for his best game in well over a month. But Bradshaw's scored just once in the last five weeks and typically has remained below 60 rush yards per game. Andre Brown has been replaced, sort of, by David Wilson but he was limited to only four runs for nine yards on Monday night. Brown usually had eight touches or so per game as the short yardage and goal line back.

Martellus Bennett comes off his best game of the year when he caught five passes for 82 yards and scored in Washington for the first time since week three. Bennett has been far more likely to remain below 50 yards and not score in virtually every other game. He rolled up all his production in the first half last week before Manning ignored him the rest of the way.

At least Victor Cruz ended with 104 yards on five catches in Washington but was missed on one long pass that could have been a score. Manning was a little off most of the night and Hakeem Nicks took his ten targets and only caught five for 43 yards. This week is critical. If the Giants are going to remain atop the NFC East, they have to not only win here but Manning needs to show up with something better than he had last week. The Saints bring in one of the worst secondaries in the league and a healthy Manning should tear it up. All receivers are there and healthy. This is a home game. There is no reason for a down game here aside from Manning reprising the "tired arm" excuse.

Ahmad Bradshaw gets to face a horrible rush defense as well and that could end up lowering the amount of passes that Manning throws. It will not get any better for the next four weeks than this game.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
QB Eli Manning, NYG	PHI	0	0	0	0	0	250	2	1
Eli has been scuffling a bit of late, but a Philly secondary that's allowed multiple touchdown passes in eight of its last nine and gave up 309 and 2 to Eli in the earlier meeting this year should help him get back on track. Doesn't hurt that the Giants need to win to keep their hopes of defending their title alive.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG	PHI	60	1	3	20	0	0	0	0
Bradshaw says he's going to play despite (insert this week's injury here), which will limit his practice time this week. He's still the best bet for a goal line touchdown if there is to be one, and Philly has served up a rushing score in four straight so that's a strong possibility. However, the injury and the fact that he amassed 77 yards from scrimmage in the earlier meeting don't exactly scream "wait for me" when setting your fantasy lineup.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB David Wilson, NYG	PHI	50	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wilson is a strong play if Ahmad Bradshaw can't go this week, but it sounds like Bradshaw will at least play some so it's tough to bank on the rookie for a significant fantasy contribution.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Victor Cruz, NYG	PHI	0	0	6	70	1	0	0	0
Cruz was big in the earlier meeting with Philly, with a touchdown and 109 yards. But he's had just 36 yards combined over the past two games and is limping towards the finish line. Tough to reward that sort of slumpage with a fantasy start.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Hakeem Nicks, NYG	PHI	0	0	4	50	0	0	0	0
Nicks has been banged up all season, culminating in his goose egg last week. He didn't play against the Eagles in the earlier meeting and can't be banked on for much if any fantasy help here.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
TE Brandon Myers, NYG	PHI	0	0	2	20	0	0	0	0
Myers was on a roll but now three games in a row of sub-15 yard efforts means he cannot be trusted.

	Opp	fga	FGM	xpa	XPM	ConFac
K Lawrence Tynes, NYG	PHI	3	3	3	3
After racing to the NFL lead in field goals, Tynes has hit just one in the past three weeks. Philly held him to one trey in the earlier meeting, so best to get your kicks elsewhere.

	Opp	fga	FGM	xpa	XPM	ConFac
K Josh Brown, NYG	PHI	2	1	3	3
Brown nailed the game-winner to send Cincy to the playoffs, but if Mike Nugent gets healthy Brown could be watching the postseason with the rest of us. Until the Bengals clarify their kicker situation you shouldn't be looking to either for fantasy help.

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