Frankly, no one has any idea of what the Giants are actually going to look like this year. There are analysts who say that last year’s terrible season was a fluke, and that Eli Manning is going to get back to his old ways.
But there’s plenty of others who continue to poke holes in the offensive line and look at the secondary after Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Antrel Rolle and seriously question if they’ll get back to even a .500 record. But, in terms of fantasy, it at least has to be better than last year for most players.
Eli Manning, Quarterback
There’s basically no way that Manning repeats a season of having a .67 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That doesn’t mean he’ll be a fantasy star — he never has been — but it at least won’t be as bad. The offensive line is healthy again, and by adding Rashad Jennings and getting David Wilson potentially healthy, the Giants will get a supporting cast to help Manning. He’s never been more than a fantasy backup, but he’ll at least return to some level of consistency again this year.
Rashad Jennings, Running Back
After New York had to salvage a running game last year with various injuries and a poor offensive line, it went out and signed Jennings, who has never really shown any consistency. He had a career year in Oakland last season, rushing for 733 yards and six touchdowns and now will be the top guy with the Giants. As it is with most running backs after the top 10 or so, drafting Jennings isn’t the strongest play, but at least owners know he’ll probably get the majority of the carries in an offense that will look to just get back to basics this year.
Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver
If Manning can get back on track, Cruz is going to be the first person to benefit. After scoring 19 combined touchdowns in his first two years with the Giants, he had just four last year and dropped below 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. Cruz is clearly one of the best deep threats in the league, and as long as Manning can even get back to 25 touchdowns for so on the year, Cruz will have at least eight of them.
Rueben Randle, Wide Receiver
Randle has two more touchdowns last year than Cruz, and a year after going for less than 300 yards in 16 games, it’s tough to tell what exactly owners will get out of him. He was targeted 80 times but pulled in just 41 receptions (mostly Manning’s fault there) but the Giants went out and drafted Odell Beckham, so they may not be completely sold on Randle. Besides Cruz, Beckham and Randle, though, the Giants don’t have much in the way of pass catchers, so Randle is going to be targeted and is a solid flex option.
Adrien Robinson, Tight End
“Who is Adrien Robinson?” you might be asking. Well, I don’t even know. He’s never caught a single pass in the league, so it’s safe to say he should go undrafted in all leagues that don’t play two tight ends, and even then it’s a stretch. Robinson is what’s left of a group of tight ends who have relatively no NFL experience after Brandon Myers left in free agency to the Buccaneers. Stay away until he gets a few games under his belt to see where he, or any other tight end, fits into the offense.
Biggest Fantasy Surprise: Odell Beckham, Wide Receiver
As previously mentioned, if the Giants didn’t like Beckham, they wouldn’t have reached for him in the first round. There’s currently no push one way or the other to see if Beckham or Randle lines up opposite Cruz, but Beckham’s skill set more so fits a slot receiver. Cruz and Randle can both stretch the field, so (again, this depends on Manning rebounding) there’s going to be some opportunities for him to establish himself as a fantasy threat. He’s a borderline draftee in 10-team leagues, but taking him in one of the last rounds will definitely be worth it to see if he establishes a rapport with Manning.
Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Rashad Jennings, Running Back
Owners are falling in love with the opportunity for Jennings, but we really don’t know if he can be an every-down back. In three years with the Jaguars, he was just a backup to Maurice Jones-Drew, and even with the Raiders he split time with Darren McFadden when McFadden was healthy. It’s also not out of the question that Wilson finds his way back into the lineup, and the Giants re-signed Peyton Hillis, who is a great short-yardage and goal line back, eating in to Jennings’ touchdown potential.
How the Schedule Impacts New York’s Fantasy Options
Out of everyone in the NFC East, the Giants have the best defense. The other three teams (Washington, Philadelphia and Dallas) all have questionable defenses at best. Washington tied for the second worst scoring defense in the league last year, Dallas was the worst defense in terms of yards allowed and the Eagles were the fourth worst. They also open with the Detroit Lions, who have a terrible secondary, and also face the Falcons, Colts and Titans throughout the year. The biggest road blocks are matchups against the NFC West, especially road games against St. Louis and Seattle.