With Week 2 in the books, the New York Football Giants didn’t look half bad. As a NY/NJ native and lifelong Giants fan, I think it’s fair to say I keep my eye on things over in East Rutherford. Week 1 was a disaster, but Week 2 showed much more promise from the team as a whole – for NFL and fantasy football purposes.
From here on out, I will be doing a weekly recap of how the Giants performed, and what to expect from each player going forward in fantasy football leagues.
The score of Week 2’s game was NYG 29 – 30 WFT. It was so close due to Daniel Jones’ heroic efforts, so let’s start with the quarterback position.
Quarterback
Daniel Jones – Daniel Jones completed 22 of 32 pass attempts. This is a 68.75% completion rate, which is much higher than his career average of 62.3%. He also led the team in rushing, going 9 for 95 and a score. Their playcalling included some designed runs and RPO, so Jones took full advantage. With a passer rating of 102.2, Jones was much improved against a stud defense. Look for him to continue this trend going into Week 3 against Atlanta. He is a solid play in SuperFlex, 2QB leagues, or even 1QB leagues as a stream.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley – Saquon Barkley had an okay stat line, but let’s dissect a bit further. He had 57 yards on 13 rushes. 4.4 yards per carry is not bad, but his longest run of the day was 41 yards. I don’t like taking away big plays because clearly the player is talented enough to make it happen. But in the event that you take away the 41 yard run, he had 16 yards on 12 rushes. This is 1.3 yards per carry and nowhere near what we want not only as fantasy football managers, or as fans.
If you drafted Saquon, you expected that he might be limited throughout the month of September due to his ACL tear last year. Going forward, Barkley will be fine and is obviously going to be in your lineup. Look for him to return to form Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Wide Receivers
Kenny Golladay – It seems as if Kenny Golladay is currently stealing money from the New York Giants. He had eight targets during week two (technically nine, but it was defensive pass interference so it doesn’t count). Of those eight targets, here is how they stand:
- 3 Catches
- 2 Drops
- 2 Pass Deflections
- 1 Uncatchable Target
His target share is about 20% right now and that is exactly what I expected from him. What I don’t expect are simple drops when his style of play is catered to catch contested balls. Five catches for 70 yards sounds much better than three catches for 38 yards. I think the chemistry will evolve during the year, but Golladay is staying on my bench until he proves himself with this team. He is currently dealing with a hip injury, so start him at your own risk.
Sterling Shepard – Sterling Shepard is the knight in shining armor for this team. In Week 2 he caught 9 of 10 passes for 94 yards. His season total is now 16 catches for 207 yards and one score. Leading the team in targets again, Shepard now has an astounding 27% target share through two weeks. Expect that to come down to Earth once Evan Engram returns. He is a consistent flex play each week until further notice.
Darius Slayton – Darius Slayton only has six catches on the year. He hasn’t made much of an impact for fantasy football. In Week 2 against Washington, he had a touchdown catch and a touchdown drop. Slayton is slated to stay on the waiver wire or a deep league flex barring unforeseen circumstances.
Kadarius Toney – The rookie first round pick, Kadarius Toney, has not lived up to any expectations. A slow start was expected due to multiple issues throughout training camp. As a Giant’s fan myself, I was overjoyed with having another playmaker on the squad. With Sterling Shepard being a possible trade asset or a cap casualty next year, Toney should look to inherit the slot role next to Golladay. With his -2 yards on the year, Kadarius Toney is nothing more than a dynasty stash as of now.
Tight End
Evan Engram – Not much news on Evan Engram so far. He has been sidelined the first two weeks of the year with a calf injury. Besides his rookie year and 2020, Engram has been riddled by injury. Hopefully he is good to go for a great match-up against the Falcons in Week 3. Whenever he is ready, expect an 18-20% target share right off the bat.
Kyle Rudolph – Not much of a fantasy asset this year. Kyle Rudolph is a desperate play even in tight end premium or deeper leagues.
Outlook
Outside of Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard, I would not rely on any Giants’ players to perform in Week 3. Daniel Jones is a sneaky stream due to his rushing ability. Kenny Golladay needs to find his footing in the Big Apple before he sees a starting role in fantasy football. Evan Engram is a potential top-12 tight end when healthy, so keep an eye on him. He was mentioned mentioned in my Add and Stash series which you can find here.
Everyone else is on standby until further notice. You won’t need New York Giants players on your team unless your desperate or if there’s a slew of injuries.
