Fantasy Football 2019 Team Previews: New York Giants
New York Giants
Must Owns
Saquon Barkley, RB (ADP: 1): Barkley is the consensus No. 1 overall pick, and despite this team probably being crap and potentially one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year, I have zero concerns about him as the top pick. Barkley is the most purely talented RB possibly of my lifetime, as well as the best receiving back in football. He will be the entire Giants offense, and is the ultimate collaboration between talent and opportunity. He has all of both in 2019.
Evan Engram, TE (ADP: 58): People who drafted Engram last year weren’t happy. He was constantly battling injuries, the team was a dumpster fire, he wasn’t targeted as much as his rookie season, and he only scored three touchdowns. Don’t give up! The Giants can’t be worse than they were in 2018, the offensive line should improve at least marginally, and a healthy Engram, without Odell Beckham soaking up targets, is in line for a major bounce back. The fantasy community seems to recognize this based on his ADP, and I don’t think he will disappoint you again at No. 58 overall.
Sterling Shepard, WR (ADP: 97): Shepard is out right now with a broken thumb, but there’s optimism he will be ready by Week 1, and therefore he’s one of the best values in fantasy. Odell Beckham’s absence opens up a ton of targets for other players, specifically Shepard, who is stepping into the No. 1 WR role. He has consistently caught between 60%-70% of his targets, and with the increase he’ll receive, Shepard is probably going to flirt with 85-90 catches. This should be the season in which he eclipses 1,000 yards receiving, and he’s a known red zone target, having caught six red zone TDs as a rookie. Last season, all four of his touchdowns were inside the 10-yard line. Shepard will be the primary option for Eli Manning when the Giants are near the end zone, and his current ADP – 38th among wide receivers – is grossly undervaluing him.
Fantasy Relevant
Golden Tate, WR (ADP: 125): Tate, in addition to being in decline, is going to miss the first four games of the season. Once upon a time Tate was a player I loved drafting; he was a classic target hound, PPR machine, and steady WR2. Now, he’ll see the fourth-most targets at best, he’s downgrading at QB, and he’s never been much of a scoring threat as is. Without the high volume and opportunity to flirt with 100 catches, Tate is just a middle-of-the-road WR3. There are players with way more upside that will be far more fun to own. Stay away.
Handcuff(s)
Wayne Gallman, RB (ADP: 316): Gallman is the RB you’ll want to own in this backfield if Barkley goes down, but he’s not very good. Barkley owners shouldn’t feel the need to handcuff their top pick; if you lose Saquon, you’re going to need someone with infinitely more upside than Gallman.
Deep Sleepers
Cody Latimer, WR (ADP: N/A): Latimer, a former second round pick, has never lived up to the hype. Latimer has not ever caught 20 passes in the NFL, nor scored more than two touchdowns in a season. He may be in for the most opportunity of his career, however, since Shepard is banged up and Tate will miss a quarter of the season. This isn’t a great offense and Eli Manning is no longer a great – or possibly even good – QB, but Latimer literally has no average ADP. He’s free, and he’s got enough talent to keep an eye on in the preseason.