Fantasy Football Profile: Eli, Orton, Edwards, Delhomme, and Garrard

Eli Manning

I like Eli more as a reality QB than a fantasy one.  Even with Derrick Ward's departure, this is still a run-first team.  Without a clear No. 1 WR, it’s hard to consider Eli anything more than a backup fantasy QB, especially given the swirling winds he often plays in at Giants Stadium. 

The Giants have drafted plenty of WRs the past few years, so it’s time for Steve Smith, Mario Manninghma, Sincorice Moss, and, rookie Hakeem Nicks to step up. 

Domenik Hixon will likely be his most reliable WR, and Kevin Boss is a serviceable TE for Eli who can gain yards after the catch. 

Eli has some nice regular season matchups in Week Four vs. Kansas City, Week Six against New Orleans, Week Seven against Arizona, and Week 12 against Denver.  He has a tough fantasy playoff schedule at home against Philly, at Washington, and at home against Carolina. 

He’d be a nice compliment to Matt Ryan, Donovan McNabb, and Kurt Warner, all of whom have byes in Week Four. Also, both Tony Romo and Peyton Manning have byes in Week Six, and Matt Hasselbeck has one in Week Seven. 

I think you’ll see typical Eli numbers, with 3,300 yards and 21 TDs.

Kyle Orton

Now we get to see what Orton has.  He was a standout at Purdue and finally has some weapons to work with in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal.  He doesn’t take much of a step back with his tight ends, as Daniel Graham and Tony Scheffler aren’t far off from Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark. 

He is going to a more pass-happy Offense and should see an increase in production, though he’s clearly a backup fantasy QB.

He should get off to a solid start facing Cincinnati and Cleveland in the first two weeks.  He plays the Chiefs in Week 13.  Unfortunately, his best matchups aren’t in bye weeks, which lessens his value as a backup fantasy QB. 

His fantasy playoffs matchups are Indy, Oakland, and Philly, which are probably a moot point because if you’re relying on him as your No. 1 QB, you’re probably not in the fantasy playoffs. 

I would probably try and pair him with Brees or Manning.  Brees has a bye in Week 5 and Orton faces New England.  Peyton has a bye in Week 6 and Orton faces San Diego.  Denver faces Baltimore when Tom Brady is on bye, so I wouldn’t pair them up. 

Orton will be a late round pick and I’m putting him on a 3,300 yard, 18 TD season.

Trent Edwards

Trent Edwards gets the luxury/challenge of being T.O.’s newest QB. The good news for Edwards is that T.O. usually plays nice the first year in a new destination.  Plus, T.O. will probably be on his best behavior for his reality show. 

In addition to Owens, Edwards has speedy Lee Evans, who just may be the best No. 2 WR Owens has played with in a long time.  With the attention Owens garners, Edwards and Evans could connect on some deep balls. 

He also has three RBs capable of catching the ball out of the backfield in Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, and Dominic Rhodes.  Edwards could be a breakout candidate.

His fantasy playoffs schedule consists of Kansas City, New England, and Atlanta.  I wouldn’t gamble on him in Weeks 15 & 16, but the opening round of the playoffs against Kansas City is intriguing. 

He has a couple of decent matchups during the year.  First, he plays New Orleans in Week Three.  He also faces Cleveland in Week Five, which could be of interest to Jay Cutler, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Philip Rivers owners, who are on bye that week. 

Edwards will be a late round pick and I expect him to have around 3,300 yards and 18 TDs.

Jake Delhomme

Jake Delhomme had a disappointing 2008 season.  Still, he has Steve Smith, one of the games most electrifying WRs at his disposal, so he maintains fantasy relevance. 

Muhsin Muhammad had a solid year, but at 36 you begin to wonder about a drop off.  This is a clearly a run-first team and Delhomme is a spot fantasy starter at best.

You can’t use him in the fantasy playoffs, as he faces New England, Minnesota, and the Giants.  He faces Arizona and New Orleans in Weeks Eight and Nine, which appear to be his best matchups. 

He could be paired with Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel, Tom Brady, or Big Ben, who have byes in Week 8. 

I wouldn’t trust any of the Week Nine bye teams as a No. 1 QB, so it doesn’t pay to pair Delhomme with them.

David Garrard

David Garrard had a disappointing 2008 season.  Most of the team did, in fact.  Their offensive line was crippled with injuries, and their defense took a major step back. 

About the only productive players was Maurice-Jones Drew. 

2009 should look a little better, as they bolstered their offensive line in the offseason with the addition of Tra Thomas, Eugene Monroe, and Eben Britton. 

They also added Torry Holt to improve their WR play.  Maurice Jones-Drew is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and Marcedes Lewis is a solid pass-catching TE. 

Jacksonville’s fantasy playoff schedule consists of Miami, Indianapolis, and New England, so it’s unlikely you’ll use Garrad in the fantasy playoffs. 

During the season they have some decent matchups against Arizona in Week Two, St. Louis in Week Six, and Kansas City in Week Nine. 

Peyton Manning and Tony Romo have byes in Week Six, so he could be a decent option to pair with them.  I wouldn’t trust any of the Week Nine bye teams as a      No. 1 QB, so it doesn’t pay to pair Garrard with them.

Articles Originally Published at LestersLegends.com.