
New York Giants
By Jody Smith, Saturday, June 15, 2024 |
After a surprisingly successful 2022 campaign, New York had a disastrous 2023 season. Unfortunately, the offense could look worse in 2024 after losing RB Saquon Barkley. The Giants found a replacement for Barkley in Devin Singletary who had a career year in 2023 with the Texans, finishing with over 1,000 all-purpose yards from scrimmage. New York had serious problems with their offensive line and is seemingly making that a priority this offseason. Regardless, this team lacked the proper weapons and speed at the wide receiver position until they selected Malik Nabers sixth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. With Isaiah Hodgins and Parris Campbell gone, the Giants were in dire need of a top wideout for Daniel Jones to target. Outside of Nabers who will step in as the team's WR1, New York's best receivers are Darius Slayton, Jaylin Hyatt, and Wan'Dale Robinson. It will be interesting to see how Nabers's arrival changes the offense, which doesn't tend to air it out. New York's passing game has long relied upon quick hitters, which could bode well for Nabers who often lines up in the slot. He is one of the best receivers in his class, he wins 50-50 balls, is a monster at gaining yards after the catch, and could make some serious noise in 2024. Nabers posted the highest PFF overall grade (92.9) and ranked fourth in yards per route run (3.64) and missed tackles forced (30). Additionally, he set an LSU record in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003), topping Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants have committed to Jones for another season after not selecting a quarterback in the draft. However, Jones is fantasy-relevant only in deep and SuperFlex leagues. Veteran TE Darren Waller has been a reliable target. But Waller was in and out of the lineup last season and is rumored to be considering retirement. That resulted in the club using a fourth-rounder on Penn State TE Theo Johnson. The 6-foot-6, 259-pound rookie blazed a 4.59 40-yard dash and is an intriguing downfield option. After adding Brian Burns via trade with the Carolina Panthers, the Giants DEF/ST could be the most valuable fantasy asset. Between Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York's defensive line could create significant problems for opposing quarterbacks. Overall, this team is in a transitional phase and is not one to heavily target in fantasy drafts. QB Daniel Jones - Deep-league OnlyLabeled a sleeper after a promising 2022, Daniel Jones was abysmal in his fifth season. In six starts, Jones threw only two touchdowns against six interceptions and posted a paltry 4.2 adjusted yards per completion. Jones was constantly under siege, with 31.6% of his pressures resulting in sacks. Ultimately, a torn ACL ended his season and the Giants are reportedly 'concerned' about his durability. There is no guarantee that Jones will be ready to open the season and there are rumors that Drew Lock could steal that job. It all adds up to a situation for fantasy football managers to fade. ADVICE: Avoid drafting in all formats RB Devin Singletary - Sleeper (undervalued)Singletary emerged as Houston's primary running back in Week 10. For the remainder of the season (including playoffs) Singletary averaged 18.6 touches and 75.4 scrimmage yards with all five of his touchdowns. Those were solid RB2 numbers during the audition, and Singletary parlayed the opportunity into a three-year 16.5 million deal to replace Saquon Barkley in New York. The Giants don't have much depth at the position, so Singletary looks like a good bet to see consistent weekly usage. That puts him on the RB2/3 radar for 2024. ADVICE: Appealing RB3 target but upside is rather capped RB Tyrone Tracy - Dynasty OnlyADVICE: A former wide receiver, Tracy has excellent receiving chops and stood out as a big-time playmaker after contact. Devin Singletary has always been more of a committee back, leaving plenty of touches for Tracy to make an impact right away. View the rookie as a high-upside late-round target. RB Eric Gray - Dynasty OnlyGray barely played as a rookie but the departure of Saquon Barkley opens up a significant opportunity in New York's backfield. Gray has gotten some first-team reps during OTAs and is in play as a potential change-of-pace back behind Devin Singletary. He could also be a factor in the return game. ADVICE: Just a name to monitor this summer, but Gray should be on the dynasty radar. WR Malik Nabers - Gamble (high risk)LSU has produced some dominant NFL wideouts but it is Malik Nabers who owns the school's all-time receiving record. Nabers is a dominant, physical specimen who finds ways to get open and is a downfield terror in contested catch situations. He posted the highest receiving grade in FBS in 2023 per PFF. The comparisons to Ja'Marr Chase are warranted. However, no wide receiver has surpassed 770 receiving yards for the Giants in the Daniel Jones era. As enticing as Nabers is as a prospect, recency bias and early dynasty drafts are likely to influence his ADP. Nabers is certainly an elite talent, but the landing spot is less than ideal. ADVICE: Risk/reward WR3 WR Darius Slayton - Super Sleeper (high risk/potential)He's not the flashiest guy but Darius Slayton has been a solid contributor. He's posted back-to-back top-60 finishes despite being in a New York offense that ranked 26th and 31st in passing. Slayton can still be a solid option versus zone coverage and should open the season in the Giants' starting lineup. Not the worst depth target and is basically free on draft day. ADVICE: Slayton remains consistent and undervalued. He's slated to be one of New York's starters but added target competition and quarterback concerns cap his upside. He's a WR6 with some streaming value. WR Wan'Dale Robinson - Bye Week Fill-inADVICE: With Parris Campbell gone, Robinson appears to have a clear role as New York's slot receiver. That gives him some modest fantasy appeal as a WR5/6. WR Jalin Hyatt - Deep-league OnlyADVICE: It's too early to give up on Hyatt but it was an inauspicious rookie season for the first-rounder. The Giants did plummet to 31st in passing but the addition of Malik Nabers doesn't bode well for Hyatt's 2024 prospects. TE Daniel Bellinger - Low PotentialThe Giants will likely employ a committee to replace the retired Darren Waller. Bellinger will enter camp as the TE1 but there isn't a ton of upside here. Bellinger has never topped 43 receiving yards in any game and failed to score a touchdown last season despite Waller's absence. He's little more than a middling TE2 in TE Premium leagues. TE Theo Johnson - Dynasty OnlyADVICE: A 2024 fourth-rounder, Johnson will compete with Daniel Bellinger for playing time. The Giants project to have a bottom-third offense, so there isn't a ton of upside here. Johnson has some downfield ability but is more of a dynasty asset than he is redraft option this year. PK Graham Gano - Not Draft WorthyGano only played half of 2023 before a knee injury ended his season. When he was kicking, Gano struggled, converting only 11 of his 17 field goal attempts. This looks like another long season for the Giants, so there is little reason to view Gano as fantasy-relevant. New York - Bye Week Fill-inThe Giants had a surprisingly strong showing in 2023, ranking as a top-10 fantasy defense. 18 interceptions and a healthy three DST touchdowns were the main reason for that. It is fair to expect some regression to the mean, so expect the Giants to be closer to average in 2024. |