Giants (

13) at
Eagles (

29.5)

Game Overview ::

By mike johnson >>

• The Eagles will be approaching this as a “must-win” game, with a win securing the division title and NFC #1 seed and a loss possibly meaning they fall to a Wild Card spot.
• The Giants are locked into the #6 seed in the NFC and have no motivation to risk starters or key players in this game. 
• Philadelphia dominated the first meeting between these two teams, 48-22.

How new york Will Try To Win ::

I could make this section extremely short this week by simply saying, “they won’t,” but I don’t think JM would appreciate that! All jokes aside, the fact is that the Giants are locked into the #6 seed in the NFC and are likely to face the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs – a team that they played to a close loss just two weeks ago and who looked awful as they were demolished by the Packers in Week 17. The Giants will almost certainly be resting a majority of their key players for this matchup with an Eagles team that destroyed them a few weeks ago and is looking to lock up the #1 seed in the playoffs. There is some thought of trying to build momentum for the playoffs, but the same can be said about the momentum lost if they play everyone and get destroyed again the week before the playoffs start.

Assuming the Giants take this approach, Tyrod Taylor is likely to start or at least play a majority of the game. It seems reasonable the Giants could take a “preseason” approach by starting many of their guys but pulling them after a series or two. Taylor has seen limited work this season and has five rush attempts compared to eight pass attempts. This underscores the likelihood of a run-heavy game plan for the Giants, especially against an Eagles defense whose Achilles heel all season has been stopping the run – as evidenced in their surprising loss to the Saints last week. We should expect New York to run the ball and have a spread-out passing attack that focuses on short areas of the field and simple concepts that get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands quickly. With Saquon Barkley also likely to sit out or be extremely limited, it seems likely that the Giants offense will struggle to move the ball this week, and consistent scoring will be hard to come by.

How philadelphia Will Try To Win ::

mike johnson >>

• JM hit the nail on the head here with the Eagles offense. They scored 24 first-half points in the first meeting with the Giants, and with Hurts back and some key Giants defenders likely taking a rest, that outcome is once again very much in play. Hurts should have a very good game here, with it being likely that either multiple of AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Miles Sanders, and Dallas Goedert have solid games, or one of them posts a truly elite game for this slate. I will likely employ an “at least one Eagle” rule for most of my lineups this week.
• Hurts himself should be a high-floor and high-ceiling option this week, although his potential ceiling is likely limited by what I would expect will be limited rushing attempts and a situation where Philadelphia may not want to put him in a big scrum near the goal line that could lead to a shoulder setback. However, even with a lower rushing projection, the nature of the slate does lend itself to Hurts being an elite quarterback option this week.
• AJ Brown and Devonta Smith now have similar price tags, and I prefer Brown as both of them project for relatively low ownership, while Brown has had a more consistent role with Goedert in the lineup and Hurts under center.
• Let’s first be clear about the fact that while the Giants don’t “have anything to play for” from a playoff perspective, they are still going to play this game and have players on the field. From that lens, it is likely that many of those players will have very low salaries, and while the matchup isn’t great, cheap volume can be quite valuable, and the Giants have a relatively predictable game script.
• Marcus Johnson has operated as the 4th wide receiver for the Giants recently and would seem very likely to have a significant amount of run this week. Johnson has played well in several preseason situations and could be the focal point of the Giants passing attack this week.
• Lawrence Cager is a former wide receiver who now plays tight end and could be active this week. Cager has the prototype to make big plays for his position and is a much higher upside prospect than fellow bottom-of-the-depth chart tight end Chris Myarick, making him an intriguing option if given the opportunity to get on the field.