Quarterbacks
QB Eli Manning – Over the last three seasons before 2017, Eli averaged 606 passing attempts per game leading to just under 4,300 passing yards and about 30 TDs per season. Manning passed for over 4,000 yards in six of his last nine years. His sack total tends to be short along with his yards per pass attempt due to Eli getting rid of the ball quickly when his pass blocking breaks down. His drop-in production last year (3,468 passing yards and 19 TDs) was due to injuries. This season he’ll have strength at two wide receiver positions plus an upside, big play TE. Over 13 seasons in the NFL, Manning has a 111-103 record with two Super Bowl titles. This offense has enough talent for Eli to post a career high in passing yards and TDs, but the addition of an elite RB may take away his upside in many games. Odell Beckham is a beast while coming off an injury. Evan Engram is the real deal at TE, and Saquon Barkley can only make the offense better. Outside at 4,500+ yards with 30 TDs well within reach.
Running Backs
RB Saquon Barkley – Over his last two seasons at Penn State, Saquon had 3,801 combined yards with 43 TDs and 82 catches. He projects as a three-down back with high value in scoring ability. Giants’ fans have to be excited by the addition of Barkley. He’ll threaten the second level of the defense with his speed if he gets a free run through the line of scrimmage while offering a dig step to set up linebackers and safeties for big plays. His vision is exceptional with the hands and route running to be a true three-down threat. If he had the Cowboys’ offensive line, Saquon would no doubt be a top three draft pick in 2018. Last year the Giants’ RBs rushed for 1,511 yards on 378 carries with only five rushing TDs. Their backs caught 105 of 139 targets for 608 yards and one TD. Eli will look to dump off many passes to the RB position when the pass blocking breaks down, which is going to happen a lot in 2018. Barkley will command a top tier RB opportunity even with a veteran RB roster. My floor is 300 rushes for 1,400 yards with 60+ catches for another 500 yards. I fully expect double digit TDs with more upside if New York’s offense clicks on all cylinders. Buy the hype and watch him deliver Fantasy championships with two possible upside matchups in Week 14 (@WAS) and Week 16 (@IND).
Update: 8/14/2018 > Barkley suffered a quad injury in practice to gave Fantasy owners a slight scare. The injury appears to be minor while having plenty of time to get ready for the regular season.
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RB Jonathan Stewart – Over the last three seasons, Stewart has lost value in his yards per carry (4.6, 4.1, 3.8, and 3.4). The Panthers gave him 200 or more touches over the last four seasons, but his game is just about empty in the passing game (2016 – 8/60 and 2017 – 8/52/1). Jonathan has 23 TDs over his last 41 games. Stewart should see between 75 and 100 touches on the year while being only an insurance card for Saquon Barkley.
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RB Wayne Gallman – Clemson gave Gallman plenty of touches (556) over his last two seasons leading to 3,025 combined yards with 31 TDs and 42 catches. His career was highlighted by his junior year (1,740 combined yards with 14 TDs and 22 catches). Over three years in college, Wayne caught 66 combined passes for 486 yards and two TDs. He runs hard with some open field ability thanks to a spin move and some wiggle. In his rookie season, Gallman gained 669 combined yards with one TD and 34 catches on 145 touches. Over the last four games of 2017, he finished with 329 yards with 19 catches while just under 16 touches per game. Wayne will be a top pass-catching backup at RB with possibly more upside on early downs than Jonathan Stewart.
Wide Receivers
WR Odell Beckham – Beckham is a special WR, and we still haven’t seen him at his best. Over his first three seasons in the NFL, Odell had 288 catches for 4,122 yards and 35 TDs or 21.67 Fantasy points per start. During this stretch, Beckham averaged 6.9 catches for 98.1 yards and 0.83 TDs per game. His ankle issue will lead to him being discounted some in the 2018 draft season. Beckham has all the talent and explosiveness a Fantasy owner is looking for as a lead WR on a Fantasy team. New York added an elite RB with strength at WR2 and TE. If 2018 breaks right, Odell may end up being the top WR in the land. Possible 100+ catches for 1,500+ yards and a dozen or more TDs. New York expects him to be 100 percent healthy for the start of training camp.
Update: 7/27/18 > Odell Beckham was cleared to play in training camp, which sets the stage for an exciting season with the Giants expected to be much better offensively. The 2018 depth at RB in the first round sets up a great buying opportunity for a yellow sticker owner late in the first round with Beckham being the top prize as the third WR off the table.
WR Sterling Shepard – Shepard was just a Fantasy tease in 2018. He posted an elite game in Week 3 (7/133/1 on ten targets) setting up a great opportunity after the injury to Odell Beckham in Week 4. Unfortunately, an ankle injury in Week 5 led to two missed games. He looked the WR1 part in Week 9 (5/70) and Week 10 (11/142), but migraines led to two more missed games. Sterling lost his way in two games (3/56 and 2/16) when he returned to the starting line while flashing for the third time in 2017 in Week 15 (11/139/1). He battled a hamstring and neck issue late in the year leaving a Fantasy owner scratching his head with his 2018 value. Shepard is the clear WR2 in this offense with possession value in most weeks. Last year he showed his game offered more than 5/50 skill set with his ability to beat a defense with his legs (three catches over 40 yards). His next step is 80+ catches for 1,000 yards with five to seven TDs.
WR Roger Lewis – Over 28 games in 2014 and 2015 at Bowling Green, Lewis caught 158 passes for 2,638 yards and 23 TDs with his best success coming in his sophomore seasons (85/1544/16). After signing as an undrafted free agent in 2016, Roger saw a bump in chances last year (36/416/2 on 72 targets) after the injuries to Odell Beckhamand Brandon Marshall. Improving player with a low volume opportunity. Over his last three games in 2017, Lewis had 32 combined targets leading to 15 catches for 160 yards.
Tight Ends
TE Evan Engram – The Giants added an interesting dynamic to their offense in the 2017 draft with Engram. He caught 162 passes over four years in college resulting in 2,320 yards and 15 TDs. In 2016, his game made an excellent step forward (65/926/8). Evan is an oversized WR playing the TE position with excellent speed and quickness to threaten the defense in all areas. He’ll need to improve his route running and blocking skills to be on the field for more plays. Over 14.5 games, Engram caught 64 of his 115 targets for 722 yards and six TDs. He had seven games with five catches or more and four games with double-digit targets. His three clunker games came in Week 5 (0/0 on four targets), Week 11 (1/8 on six targets), and Week 16 (1/12 on two targets while leaving the game after an early injury). This season he’ll be the third option in the passing game, which will help him see favorable coverage on many plays. Even with competition for targets, Evan should be able to push his way to 70+ catches for 800+ yards with about seven TDs.
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