Predictions Summary Projections by Position Projection Team Boxes

table td.bg-light-yellow {
background: #ffffcc; }

Prediction: PHI 20, IND 27 (Line: IND by 3)

This should be a really good Monday night game for fantasy fans. The Eagles offense started sluggish last week but picked up plenty of second half steam. The Colts also were rolled over in the first half of the Denver game but then showed up and made it look far closer. You have to like the home opener for the Colts while secretly hoping that the Eagles get on a late roll and force a shootout.

The Eagles are losing LG Evan Mathis with an MCL injury for at least a short time and they already were dealing with Lane Johnson’s four-game suspension and RT Allen Barbe hurt his ankle as well. They cobbled together a line good enough last week but one of the better blocking units in the NFL are starting the year with sudden problems. The offense posted 34 second half points after being blanked in the first half. Slow starts are fine against lesser teams but won’t fly versus opponents like the Colts.

QUARTERBACK : Nick Foles ended up with 322 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars but lost two fumbles and one interception in addition to being sacked five times. He only managed 12 of 24 completions for 139 yards and the interception in the first half against what should have been (and eventually was) a much worse team. A big Monday night performance would go a long way to silencing critics.

RUNNING BACK : LeSean McCoy found the running tougher than expected when he only gained 74 yards on 21 carries but he added six catches for 41 yards to salvage his game. The surprise was that Darren Sproles would end up with 11 runs for 71 yards and one score and added four catches for 14 yards. McCoy totaled 27 plays while Sproles was given 15 and 17 if you count the two targets he did not catch. This is much more of a committee than last year. We’ll see if that continues and McCoy still had plenty of plays but in games where the Eagles cannot run 32 times, chances are McCoy still remains just as busy.

WIDE RECEIVER : While nothing major happened with this group last week, it was encouraging to see Jeremy Maclin (4-97, TD) with no signs of his knee injury and he never crumpled to the grass holding said knee like a few weeks ago. The rookie Jordan Mathews (2-37) is not yet a factor but will certainly improve. Riley Cooper (4-29) remains outside. After just one game, this looked much like 2013 only with Maclin instead of Jackson.

TIGHT END : Zach Ertz was expected to take a bigger role this year and after posting a touchdown on his three catches for 77 yards, it is happening. He’s more than a mere tight end and his speed was apparent on his catches for 25, 26 and 26 yards. Even DeSean Jackson did not average 25 yards per catch. His improvement offers yet another weapon for Foles.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The Colts rank poorly in many areas but they just played in Denver against a team looking for revenge from last year. They gave up 94 yards on 27 runs for a 3.5 yard rushing average but surrendered three passing touchdowns to Manning – all to the tight end. Foles, McCoy and Maclin are ever week starts and all should see decent production if only in the passing game. Ertz is an obvious play – looked great last week and faces the team that Julius Thomas just shredded.

the Colts fell to the Broncos but not before putting together a comeback bid that fell just short. Going forward, the Colts won’t have OLB Robert Mathis who is done for the year with a torn Achilles tendon and they will sorely miss the 19.5 sacks that he generated last year. Playing at home helps but particularly in road games the Colts defense will take a step backwards – all the better for Andrew Luck owners. Last week the Colts went against a much improved Broncos defense. This week they face the same bad Eagles defense from last year.

QUARTERBACK : Ironic that Andrew Luck plays for the Colts since he looks like Peyton Manning ten years ago. He passed for 370 yard and two scores along with two uncharacteristic interceptions in Denver. He also added a touchdown run just because he could. If the Colts promise to throw more and not lock onto the run so much holds true this will be a very nice year for Luck.

RUNNING BACK : No need for a milk carton. We found Trent Richardson and he’s just the same guy we know last year. He ran for only 20 yards on six carries but added 31 yards on three catches. Forced into passing formations, Ahmad Bradshaw ended with three runs for 15 yards and five catches for 70 yards since he was on the field more in the second half during the comeback attempt. Richardson looks like the sort of back who needs a really soft home game with plenty of carries to generate much fantasy value and to all but disappear when the going gets tough. It is just one week and the Broncos defense is solid. But Richardson needs badly to show up better this time in what will be one of his softest matchups of the year. If he stumbles here, it will be hard not to throw him on the back half of your roster until he does something.

WIDE RECEIVER : T.Y. Hilton was anticipated to be the primary receiver but the Broncos made a point of shutting him down and never allowing him to get deep. Hilton received 11 targets but finished with only 41 yards on five catches. Reggie Wayne led the group with nine receptions for 98 yards and showed no signs of his knee injury or the fact he is older than most everyone on the field including referees Hakeem Nicks scored in his first game but only left with five catches for 36 yards.

TIGHT END : After missing last year, Dwayne Allen (4-64, TD) made up for lost time as the most productive tight end and looked good. Coby Fleener had eight targets but only three catches for 21 yards. Early returns paint Allen as an up-and-comer in Indy worth owning.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: This is the great part. The Eagles at home made Chad Henne and Allen Hurns look like… like.. like they were Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton. The Jaguars rush defense was decent holding Toby Gerhart to only 42 yards but then again it was Gerhart on the road with the Jags. Luck, Hilton and Wayne are every week starters and more so this time. Allen is still a risky play but looking better and Nicks gets the fewest passes of the bunch but this may not be a shootout so his number may not be called as much.

table td.bg-light-yellow {
background: #ffffcc; }