2016 Fantasy Football Team Preview: New York Giants

 

2015 Fantasy Recap

Overall, last season the Giants were a hit or miss team from a fantasy perspective. In the right matchup, both Eli Manning and Odell Beckham were some elite weekly options for us all and I’m expecting a lot of that consistency this season. Their running backs and tight ends were less than stellar and were towards the bottom of the league in fantasy production. They didn’t even have one guy who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season. Overall, New York’s defense was awful as well from a fantasy standpoint last season but has drastically improved during the offseason. If these guys stay healthy this season, then I have very similar expectations from them at this point, except for maybe the defense.

Key Additions and Losses

Additions:

• Sterling Shepard
• Eli Apple
•  Janoris Jenkins
•  Keenan Robinson

Losses:

• Rueben Randle
• Prince Amukamara

QuarterBack Fantasy Outlook

Eli Manning had a career year last season and was a big part of a lot of our fantasy squads success most weeks. He finished the season completing 62.6 percent of his passing attempts and really dominated from a fantasy standpoint. In 2015, Manning threw for 4,436 yards, 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Those 35 scores were a career high for Eli and should be an achievable goal once again this year. I wouldn’t necessarily lean on Manning as a QB1 for most weeks because he does have those bad games every year but as a late-round draft pick, he could really be a diamond in the rough. I think Manning will be a lot like what Philip Rivers was last season for owners, being that he was a guy no one was high on but put in a really good fantasy season.

Grade: B+

 Running Back Fantasy Outlook

The running back situation in New York hasn’t been near as cloudy as it is right now. There are at least five players on the depth chart that could see time on the field at some points this upcoming season. As of now, I believe that the Week 1 starter will more than likely be Rashad Jennings, who honestly underperformed last season. In 2015, Jennings took 48.3 percent of carries for the Giants, rushing 195 times for 863 yards and three touchdowns. These numbers are less than stellar for us fantasy owners, so I’ll more than likely be staying away from Jennings this year.

Other guys on the team include Shane Vereen, Andre Williams, Bobby Rainey and Orleans Darkwa. All of these guys could eat into Jennings time on the field, making him a low-end, bye week filler for you guys. In a PPR league, Vereen may have the most value out of all these running backs because of his dynamic ability to catch balls out of the backfield. Sadly, though, last year he just wasn’t that productive on the field for the Giants and most likely will be overshadowed by the team’s depth at the position, so I wouldn’t make any bets on him as well.

Grade: C-

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

This is a position that you can get excited about from a fantasy perspective! New York has one of the most talented players on the planet in ODB and he should be at the top of your wide receivers list come draft day this season. Last year, Beckham caught 96 balls for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Giants. If he stays healthy, these numbers will once again be obtained this year. New York went out and drafted one of my favorite rookie receivers coming into the draft in Shepard, who I think will be the next big thing for the fantasy world. Over his career at Oklahoma University, Shepard caught 233 passes for 3,482 yards and 26 touchdowns. Being a big Sooners fan, I’ve had the pleasure of watching this kid over the years and can say with confidence that he’s the real deal!

On down the depth chart, there are still a couple of viable options in Dwayne Harris and Victor Cruz. Harris has the potential to be a big-time player for this New York offense, especially within the special teams. Cruz on the other hand, just can’t stay healthy, so I’m not expecting a ton from him this year. In my opinion, I think that both ODB and Shepard will excel above both of these guys this year, making them a deeper league stash in the long run.

Grade:  B+

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

I believe that the tight end spot may be even worse off than the running backs for the fantasy community. The best guy that the Giants have to offer at the position is Larry Donnell but he just can’t stay healthy from year to year. Last season, he only played in eight games for New York, catching just 29 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. In 2014, Donnell more than tripled those numbers in 12 games, so there is some hope with him if he can stay healthy. Other than Donnell, the only other potential viable tight end option for the Giants is Will Tye but he just doesn’t scream fantasy relevancy.

Grade:  C-

Defensive Fantasy Outlook

I’m actually kind of excited about this defense this season because they have drastically improved, especially in the secondary. Last year, New York had one of the worst defenses from a fantasy standpoint, especially against quarterbacks. With the additions of Apple, Jenkins and Robinson, I’m expecting a much more cohesive unit this season. Also, Jason Pierre-Paul should be back healthy and can really bring something to this defensive line that they were missing for a big part of last year. JPP can finally grip a football again with his injured hand and stated that he won’t be participating in any Fourth of July fun this year, so that’s a plus.

Grade: B-

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