Fantasy Football Week 10: Complete Monday Night Preview
Anyone stay up to see the entire Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packers tilt on Sunday night?
The first half was probably enough, especially for the fanbase in the Windy City. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw six touchdown passes in the first 30 minutes of play. Mike McCarthy’s team built a 42-0 advantage at intermission on the way to a 55-14 victory.
More significantly, it marked the third straight week we saw an NFL signal-caller throw six touchdown passes in a game. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger managed that feat each of the previous two weeks.
Those are some serious numbers put up by those players, be it fantasy or reality football.
So what can we expect when the Carolina Panthers head to the City of Brotherly Love on Monday night?
We have the answers.
Starting Quarterbacks
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Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton
In last week’s 28-10 Thursday night loss to the New Orleans Saints, the fourth-year signal-caller hit on just 10 of his 28 pass attempts for 151 yards and one interception. Newton was sacked four times and lost a fumble as well, but he did rush for 43 yards and a score.
With the exception of a pair of 30-plus-point outbursts against the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals, the Panthers offense hasn’t done much to date. This unit has produced only 17 touchdowns in nine contests, and the team has been limited to 17 points or less in three straight games.
While Newton remains the key to the attack, he hasn’t put up big numbers in eight games in 2014. The talented quarterback has thrown for just eight scores while committing nine turnovers (five interceptions, four lost fumbles). Newton ranks second on the team in rushing but has totaled just 257 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns.
Fantasy Prediction: 21-of-35, 264 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 7 carries, 51 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Sanchez
Last Sunday at Reliant Stadium, the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft replaced an injured Nick Foles and responded by throwing for 202 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 31-21 win.
Sanchez will be making his first start since Week 17 of 2012 when he was still a member of the New York Jets. During his regular-season career with New York and now Philadelphia, he’s played in 63 games and thrown 70 touchdown passes while committing 91 turnovers.
He may fit right in with an Eagles team that has already coughed up the ball 21 times in eight outings in 2014.
Fantasy Prediction: 21-of-29, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 4 carries, 22 yards, 0 TD
Running Backs
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Carolina Panthers Starter: DeAngelo Williams
The team’s leading rusher from 2013 got the start last Thursday night, but his performance was underwhelming, to say the least. Williams ran eight times for just 20 yards in the loss to New Orleans.
Williams ranks third on the team with 126 yards rushing but has played in only three games this season. And the one-time first-round pick (2006) has totaled just one catch in 2014. It will be interesting to see if he gets the start for the second straight week.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 carries, 34 yards, 0 TD; 2 receptions, 19 yards, 0 TD
Carolina Panthers Backup: Jonathan Stewart
Last season, the seven-year pro was limited to six games and ran for only 180 yards on 48 carries.
This season, Stewart leads the team with 263 yards rushing (one touchdown), despite missing three contests earlier this year. He’s also caught 11 passes for 85 yards in six games.
Stewart has been Carolina’s primary rushing threat the last three games, totaling 37 carries for 175 yards over that span. Regardless of whether he starts or not, he looks like the team’s better back these days.
Fantasy Prediction: 12 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD; 4 receptions, 34 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles Starter: LeSean McCoy
Chip Kelly’s team entered Week 10 eighth in the NFL in rushing yards per game. And as the Eagles’ offensive line gets healthier on a weekly basis, McCoy is starting to once again look like the player who led the league with 1,607 yards on the ground one year ago.
After totaling only 192 yards rushing on 70 carries in his first four games this season, the talented performer has run for 430 yards on 91 attempts in his last four outings and totaled 100-plus yards on the ground in two of those contests.
Fantasy Prediction: 27 carries, 143 yards, 2 TD; 3 receptions, 34 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Darren Sproles
The one-time San Diego Chargers’ and New Orleans Saints’ offensive weapon has lived up to billing in the City of Brotherly Love as a big-play threat.
Sproles ranks second on the team with 228 yards on the ground, and he owns three of Philadelphia’s five rushing touchdowns. He’s totaled 20 receptions for 244 yards and has an 82-yard punt return for a score in 2014.
And he’s more than familiar with Ron Rivera’s style of defense due to his days in the Big Easy.
Fantasy Prediction: 11 carries, 51 yards, 0 TD; 5 receptions, 58 yards, 0 TD
Wide Receivers
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Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin
The former Florida State product has enjoyed a solid season but comes off a rough outing. In last week’s loss to the Saints, Benjamin was targeted 10 times but caught two passes for only 18 yards.
This season, the Panthers’ first-round pick in May ranks second on the team with 40 catches and leads Carolina with 589 receiving yards, while he and tight end Greg Olsen have both pulled down a club-best five touchdown receptions.
He and the rest of the team’s receivers take aim at a defense that has allowed 17 touchdown passes in eight games.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD
Carolina Panthers: Jerricho Cotchery
It’s still hard to believe that the Cotchery hasn’t reached the end zone in 2014. One year ago, the resourceful wideout pulled down 10 scores with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cotchery ranks third on the team with 28 catches for 375 yards and has totaled at least two catches in each of his eight appearances in 2014. But he’s managed no more than 80 yards receiving in any game this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 30 yards, 0 TD
Carolina Panthers: Jason Avant
It would somehow be appropriate if the one-time Philadelphia Eagles performer returned to frustrate his former team. But you get the sense that’s not in the script.
Avant ranks fourth on the club with 20 catches for 193 yards and one touchdown. However, in the last three games, the veteran receiver has been targeted a combined 10 times and has just three catches for 14 yards to show for his efforts.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 receptions, 15 yards, 0 TD
Carolina Panthers: Brenton Bersin
Bersin has totaled nine catches for 104 yards and one touchdown this season. However, he has been targeted just once over the past two weeks and does not have a reception. He could give way to Corey Brown Monday night, who figures to return after missing the last two games.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 14 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Jeremy Maclin
After missing all of 2014 with a knee injury, the former first-rounder has really kicked it into gear the last few weeks.
Maclin leads the club with 45 catches, good for 790 yards and eight scores. But over the last two games, the one-time first-round pick has been thrown to 23 times, with Maclin hauling in 18 passes for a whopping 345 yards and four touchdowns.
While the Eagles figure to exploit the Panthers’ defensive unit on the ground, Maclin will make his presence felt in some way.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Riley Cooper
He ranks third on the team with 31 catches for 331 yards (10.7 yards per reception) but has scored just one touchdown in 2014. It’s quite a falloff for a performer who pulled down 47 passes in 2013, averaging an impressive 17.8 yards per catch and scoring eight touchdowns.
All told, Cooper has scored just twice in his last 14 outings dating back to last season, and over that stretch he has yet to total at least 100 yards receiving in any of those contests.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 23 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Matthews
It hasn’t taken long for the second-round pick from Vanderbilt to make a solid impression.
The rookie wide receiver ranks second on the team with 32 catches, good for 313 yards and three scores.
Still, after totaling a pair of touchdowns in the team’s Week 3 win over the Washington Redskins, Matthews has scored just once in his last five games.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 18 yards, 1 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Jeff Maehl
Maehl has totaled only five catches for 46 yards in seven appearances this season, but three of those receptions have come in the last two games. Again, the Philadelphia running game figures to be the big factor in this contest, so don’t be surprised if the second-year pro doesn’t see a pass thrown his way.
Fantasy Prediction: 0 receptions
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Tight Ends
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Carolina Panthers Starter: Greg Olsen
The sure-handed tight end is in a very familiar spot on the team’s statistical chart. A year ago, Olsen led the Panthers in catches (73), receiving yards (816) and touchdown grabs (six).
This season, he’s totaled a team-high 45 receptions and his 539 yards rank second behind rookie Kelvin Benjamin (589), while he and the young wideout are tied for the club lead with five touchdown receptions.
However, Olsen has totaled only four catches for 46 yards the last two weeks.
Fantasy Prediction: 6 receptions, 61 yards, 0 TD
Carolina Panthers Backup: Ed Dickson
You will find the one-time Baltimore Ravens performer in the starting lineup on occasion, but he hasn’t been much of a factor in the passing game. Dickson has been targeted only six times all season, totaling three catches for 29 yards.
Fantasy Prediction: 0 receptions
Philadelphia Eagles Starter: Brent Celek
A year ago, the usually productive performer played in 15 games and totaled 32 receptions for 502 yards and six touchdowns.
This season, Celek has caught only 14 passes, and even more surprising, those grabs have amounted to a mere 90 yards. He has not scored a touchdown this season. Could this be the night?
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 11 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Zach Ertz
One of the more promising prospects in the league has had his moments this season. The second-year performer ranks fourth on the club with 25 catches, second on the team with 358 receiving yards and has scored a pair of touchdowns.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 45 yards, 0 TD
Defense/Special Teams
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Carolina Panthers Defense/Special Teams
The woes continue for a team that has won just one game the past seven weeks after opening 2-0 for the first time since 2008.
Ron Rivera’s club has now allowed 402.3 total yards per game and 30.7 points per contest in its last seven outings. During Carolina’s 2-0 start, the clubs allowed a total of 21 points and 587 total yards.
The Panthers have totaled just 20 sacks in nine games—down considerably from the 60 sacks the team led the NFL with in 2014. Still, Rivera’s team has come up with a respectable 16 takeaways this season and could get help from an Eagles team that has coughed up the ball 21 times this year.
Fantasy Prediction: 37 points allowed, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF
Philadelphia Eagles Defense/Special Teams
This was a team that managed 31 takeaways in 2013, more than double the number of turnovers it forced (13) the previous season. But Chip Kelly’s defense has had its issues so far this season, ranking 20th in the league against the run, while the team has amassed only 11 takeaways in eight contests.
But talk about your hot and cold pass rush? The Eagles have totaled 23 sacks and three or more quarterback traps in five games. The problem is that in the other three contests the Birds did not total a sack.
Fantasy Prediction: 20 points allowed, 4 sacks, 2 INT, 1 FF
Best Sleeper Adds
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A couple of these performers may not be on your team and could be worth adding on Monday morning or afternoon. Sometime a little last-minute shopping can be beneficial.
1. Corey Brown, Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers (Owned in 0.1 percent of ESPN leagues)
He didn’t catch a pass the first two weeks and has sat out the last two games with concussion issues. But Brown might be a nice pickup Monday night and provide the troubled Carolina offense with a spark. At the very least, he figures to be back returning punts and kickoffs, and who knows?
2. Chris Polk, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles (Owned in 4.1 percent of ESPN leagues)
He is obviously no threat to LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles in terms of extended playing time, but if this game gets out of hand, could Polk rack up some yards late in the game? Last week at Houston, he totaled eight carries for 50 yards and a score.
3. Jordan Matthews, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles (Owned in 23.5 percent of ESPN leagues)
Despite the fact that he ranks second on the team with 32 receptions and three touchdown grabs, Matthews is obviously still very available in a bunch of leagues. We think he’ll score touchdown No. 4 on Monday night.
Injury Report
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Here is a look at the latest injury report regarding the Panthers and Eagles, focusing on key performers (courtesy of NFL.com).
Carolina Panthers | ||
Player | Status | |
Trai Turner | G | Out |
Corey Brown | WR | Probable |
Dwan Edwards | DT | Probable |
Kawann Short | DT | Probable |
The extended time following their Thursday night tilt with the Saints enabled Carolina to get a lot healthier on the offensive line, although Turner will be out again. If Brown is able to play, the Panthers’ special teams will get a big boost.
Philadelphia Eagles | ||
Player | Status | |
Nick Foles | QB | Out |
Jeff Maehl | WR | Probable |
Evan Mathis | G | Probable |
Jason Kelce | C | Probable |
Mychal Kendricks | LB | Probable |
Nolan Carroll | CB | Probable |
Nate Allen | S | Probable |
The Eagles got their starting center back last week in Kelce, and it appears that Mathis might be on the verge of returning as well. With the obvious exception of Foles, the Eagles appear relatively healthy for the first time in some time.
Sit or Start
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We know who the stars are when it comes to this contest. But is there a pivotal player or two who may be on your roster that you can’t decide whether to start or not? Here’s a little help.
RB DeAngelo Williams (Panthers): Williams got the start last week vs. the Saints but ran just eight times for 20 yards and caught his first pass of the season. Perhaps he’s ready for a bigger load this week, but the Carolina ground game has struggled all season.
Verdict: Sit
WR Jerricho Cotchery (Panthers): The Panthers have scored a combined 36 points (three touchdowns) the last three weeks (all losses) and will need all they can get from everyone available. But Cotchery has yet to emerge this season.
Verdict: Sit
RB Darren Sproles (Eagles): We expect LeSean McCoy to have a huge night against one of the worst run defenses in the league. But Sproles will make his presence felt as well in terms of overall yards and will frustrate Luke Kuechly and company via his receiving skills.
Verdict: Start
TE Zach Ertz (Eagles): He has flashed that big-play ability all season, but the bottom line is that he has scored only two touchdowns this season. And this night will belong to the Philadelphia running game so Ertz’s blocking skills will be on display.
Verdict: Sit
Some statistical support provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, NFL.com and ESPN.com. Depth chart info provided by Ourlads.
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