(cerebrovortex.com)

Key Losses:

• Peyton Hillis

Key Additions:

• Shane Vereen

Overview

With all of the drama and movement of super stars in Dallas and Philadelphia, not to mention the constant turmoil of the Washington Redskins and their self-proclaimed “best quarterback in the league,” the New York Giants enter the 2015 as the model of serenity for fantasy football fans.  They’ve largely avoided the off the field fireworks and explosive personnel moves of their NFC East counterparts, and offer a host of potential fantasy studs that would be difficult to count on one hand.  Better yet, let’s make that two hands.

Quarterback

Heading into 2015, there’s a lot of buzz about a possible break out year in fantasy for Eli Manning, and I get it.  Manning posted one of his better seasons last year (over 4400 yards with 30 TDs and 14 interceptions) under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s West Coast attack. He returns a bevy of talented wide receivers, led by the human highlight reel Odell Beckham, Jr. and Victor Cruz who should salsa his way back onto the field after undergoing succesful patellar tendon surgery last season.

Perhaps most importantly, Eli may finally be escaping older brother Peyton’s shadow in the commercial department, with his hilarious DirecTV ad featuring “Bad Comedian Eli Manning” (seriously, this isn’t getting enough love, its funny, watch it).  How could a QB with all this not be a safe bet in fantasy this year?  Well, here’s how… he’s still Eli Manning.  Look, I’m not saying he will be terrible.  In fact Eli is a decent bet to be a top ten fantasy QB this year.  But, he will also drive you crazy.  In an ESPN league I played in last year, despite finishing as the tenth highest scoring QB in the league, Eli posted four single digit scoring games and two others where he scored 12.4 points or less.  That’s just soooo Eli, and too much for me to deal with mentally.

If you want a value QB with less stress, I’d take Tony Romo, Phillip Rivers, or Ryan Tannehill.  If you don’t mind the drama and the value is right, Beckham, Jr provides Eli with built-in upside that’s tough to argue with.

Position Grade:  B

Running back  

I have a harder time than I should admitting that Rashad Jennings isn’t a fantasy gem in waiting.  For some reason I convinced myself last year that he was going to have a great season for the Giants, and he started off great, including a monster 174 yards rushing against Houston in week three.  But, he slowed down and then got hurt, because he always gets hurt, and I was sad.

Now, in addition to having to share carries with the TD pilfering backfield behemoth Andre Williams, Jennings must contend with pass catching pilfering third down back (or more?) Shane Vereen.  In case you’ve forgotten, Vereen was most recently a member of the most dreaded RBBC in the league by way of Bill Belichick’s evil fantasy football crushing mind.  All he did last year was finish fifth overall in RB receiving yards in the NFL.  But did I mention Jennings had 174 yards rushing against Houston last year?

If for you fantasy football is about minimizing risk, look elsewhere for RB help.  If you love the rush of snagging the likes of Rashad Jennings in the fifth or sixth round, and hoping for an “I told you so” moment come December when he stays healthy and Williams and Vereen succumb to tuberculosis of the hamstrings, go for it man.

Position grade:  C

Wide Receiver

Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and Rueben Randle.  That’s as scary of a triumvirate at WR as any team in the NFL  The only major questions for fantasy owners are 1) Can OBJ stay healthy and avoid a sophomore slump, and 2) Can Cruz regain the form he showed in 2011 – 2013 emerge as the second half of the best receiving duo in the NFL?

Nothing is guaranteed in fantasy football, but absent injury OBJ should once again be a fantasy monster this year.  Have you gone back and looked at his fantasy numbers last year?  He posted over 30 fantasy points (PPR) in five of his last six games.  He scored double digits in fantasy in every game he played save for his second ever NFL start.  He finished as the seventh best fantasy WR while playing JUST TWELVE GAMES!  And he made perhaps the greatest catch in NFL history on against the Cowboys on national TV.

It would be hard to imagine OBJ keeping up such a torrid pace for sixteen games this season, but it was also hard to imagine him doing what he did in twelve games as a rookie last year.  Be thrilled when you snag him as the second or fourth WR off the board, and don’t be scared of taking Cruz or Randle with a later round pick with upside.

Position grade: A

Tight End

Tight ends not named Gronk bore me.  Seriously, how much do you want me to write about Larry Donnell?  Yeah, he made my Redskins look like clowns on national TV with a three touchdown night in September, but overall he was one of the many startable but not necessarily memorable faces in the sea of fantasy TEs.  If you get excited about three catches for 45 yards per game, and a touchdown every three or four games, then Donnell is your guy.

Position grade: C-

Summary  

The Giants offense has the potential to be really good, but I have a hard time getting too excited about most of their guys not named Beckham.  Eli will be solid, but as noted, he will also lose you a couple of games, which would be a great Geico commercial (“It’s what he does”).

The running back situation presents too many question marks to get excited about any one player, but Jennings and Vereen in PPR leagues could present good later round value.  I believe OBJ and Cruz will both top 1,000 yards, with Randle in the 900 yard range again, so stock up on these receivers, but look elsewhere for a TE.

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