Instead of slowing down as some laws of averages would suggest, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning kept his foot to the pedal on Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers and pleased his fantasy owners while breaking a legendary NFL record in the process.
Manning tossed four touchdowns by the end of the third quarter. The third went to his favorite target, Demaryius Thomas, but was also passing touchdown No. 509, allowing the future Hall of Famer to pass Brett Favre on the all-time list:
Manning had himself quite a stat line before the fourth quarter began. Keep in mind that San Francisco entered Sunday allowing the second-fewest points to quarterbacks:
That is going to change in a big way, to say the least.
San Francisco also ranked just outside of the top 10 against wideouts, although it should come as no shock that Thomas was far and away Manning's favorite target on the night. Heading into the final frame, he had been targeted a team-high nine times for a jarring final stat line:
Manning's fantasy value is obvious. Selling high would be ludicrous, although watch for someone to make the silly argument considering his next two opponents—the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots—rank in the top 11 against quarterbacks.
Really, the same applies to Thomas. Both of those defenses rank in that same vein against wideouts, and his value is further convoluted because Manning has shown an affinity for other targets this season such as wideouts Emmanuel Sanders and Wes Welker, as well as tight end Julius Thomas.
Thomas is clearly well out of his early-season slump that saw him post single-digit production in two of three games. Selling him is not an option, no matter how difficult the upcoming schedule looks.
Manning and his favorite target are matchup-proof options each week. Week 7 was just historic in that the epic tandem rewrote the history books in the process of its typical dominance.
For owners who spent costly picks on both players, history is just the cherry on top for what better be a fantasy win in Week 7.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers on bye.
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