Now that we know the one-game suspension that the NFL handed out to New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been upheld, Eli Manning and Co. head into a must-win game against the Minnesota Vikings without their best offensive weapon.
With Victor Cruz still sidelined after suffering a horrendous injury last season and Larry Donnell on the shelf for the remainder of the year, Manning is going to have to find someone to step up in the passing game if the Giants are going to remain in the playoff race.
Rueben Randle has been an enigmatic figure for the Giants since they made him a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft. After putting up two unimpressive seasons to start his career, the LSU product stepped up big time with Cruz injured last season. He caught 71 passes for 938 yards and three touchdowns.
Unfortunately, the fourth-year receiver has not built on that success thus far this season. He has posted just 51 catches on 78 targets for 638 yards and six touchdowns.
It is, however, important to note that Randle has caught touchdowns in four of his past six outings and is coming off consecutive four-plus reception games.
Looking at it purely from a fantasy perspective, the opportunities will definitely be there for Randle to put up a solid game against Minnesota.
Through 14 games, OBJ has accounted for 47 percent of the catches from the Giants wide receiver group and 47 percent of the targets from that position. This is an average of 6.5 receptions and 10.8 targets per game.
We do know that Shane Vereen, who is tied with Randle for second on the Giants with 51 receptions, will play an important role in the passing game.
After that, it's hard to find someone outside of Randle that could potentially put up 10-plus targets against a Vikings defense that ranks in the top seven of the NFL against the pass.
The team's likely No. 2 receiver come Sunday, Dwayne Harris, has been hampered by an injury recently and is coming off a two-catch, nine-yard performance. Overall, Harris has tallied two catches or less in nine of the team's 14 games this season.
All this leads to Randle receiving a huge number of targets come Sunday. Whether he will have success with said targets is anyone's guess, but that's the chance you take when looking for value in fantasy football.