QB Daniel Jones
(2023 QB Rank – No.43, 13.3 FPts/G)
If anyone in the Giants' offense is going to return fantasy value
this season, they will likely need a big resurgence from quarterback
Daniel Jones. Once seen as a promising young QB, calls for Jones
to be replaced this offseason were strong from every corner of
the football landscape. Jones’ inaccuracy as a passer, poor
decision-making, and propensity to get injured have made him a
terrible bet to break out as the next great NFL signal caller.
However, as fantasy managers, our standards don’t need to
be nearly as high, and when it comes to quarterbacks being selected
in the mid-20s at the position, it's typically tough to find a
player who actually provides some semblance of upside.
Fantasy managers will want to have other plans in place if things
go awry, but Jones has actually shown the ability to produce fantasy
points in this league. While his passing numbers have been inconsistent,
at least some of that can be explained by the constantly shifting
offensive systems he's played in, along with the mediocre pass-catching
talent he's worked with.
What has been true about Jones is that he has quietly delivered
borderline-elite rushing numbers. In fact, if you remove the two
games that he was injured midway through in 2023, Jones has finished
with at least 30 rushing yards in 13 of his past 20 games. Perhaps
more interestingly, he has reached at least 50 yards in eight
of those 13 games and even gone over 70 yards on the ground in
five of them. These numbers highlight Jones’ ability to
make plays with his legs, which is the best way for a mediocre
QB to become fantasy-relevant.
Adding to his potential, Jones has been gifted rookie Malik Nabers
at wide receiver, improving his pass-catching options. Sure, he
might get benched at any time, but the competition behind him
isn’t particularly strong, and fantasy managers are paying practically
nothing for the chance at a player who does have low-end QB1 upside
if things break right for him. Don’t worry about drafting him
in normal leagues, but Jones should be a target as a low-end QB2
in Superflex and 2QB formats.
The Giants lost the focal point of their offense this offseason
when running back Saquon Barkley signed with their division rival,
the Philadelphia Eagles. While the team addressed the position
by bringing in another back who has had some success in the league,
there’s no question that the talent discrepancy between
Barkley and new Giants starting running back Devin Singletary
is significant.
Even Barkley struggled to get things going behind the Giants’
terrible offensive line in 2023, breaking the 100-yard rushing
mark in just one contest and getting into the end zone just six
times. Meanwhile, Singletary spent the year as the lead back in
what became a high-powered Houston Texans offense, but he also
struggled, finishing with fewer than 900 rushing yards despite
playing in every game. To make matters worse, while Barkley has
proven to be a valuable asset in the passing game, Singletary
has not shown the same ability, either in Houston or during his
time in Buffalo. In five NFL seasons, Singletary has never exceeded
40 receptions and has a career-high of just seven rushing touchdowns.
The “somebody has to run the ball” narrative will
keep Singletary on draft boards, and he may be seen as a fallback
option for zero-RB builds, but he’s probably not a back
to be very excited about. He hasn’t proven to be a particularly
valuable fantasy contributor in excellent offenses, and the Giants
are expected to be below average.
Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is an intriguing prospect
who spent four years playing wide receiver at Iowa before transferring
to Purdue, where he impressed many with his shiftiness. While
his fifth-round draft capital indicates he’s unlikely to
supplant starter Devin Singletary anytime soon, his skill set
could help him carve out a role in the Giants’ offense,
particularly on passing downs where Singletary has been less-than-spectacular
throughout his career.
Tracy is not a player to consider drafting in standard leagues,
but he is one to keep an eye on regarding playing time. If he
starts to get on the field regularly, he could be an interesting
waiver wire pickup during the season, especially if Singletary
were to miss any time.
The 2023 Giants’ offense lacked significant firepower in
the passing game, which led to their prioritization of adding
a big-time pass catcher in the draft. They landed an impressive
prospect in Malik Nabers, who, if not for the generational talent
Marvin Harrison Jr., would’ve almost certainly been the
top prospect at the position in this and almost any other class.
Nabers is a well-rounded wide receiver who brings tremendous
speed and overall athleticism to a New York offense that sorely
lacks such players. Barring injury, Nabers should immediately
step in as the top target earner in what is admittedly a struggling
offense. Nevertheless, even with presumed poor quarterback play,
a high target share could allow Nabers to be a strong weekly fantasy
asset from the outset.
Nabers won’t come cheap on draft day, but he’s being
selected as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 in most leagues, which
is fairly close to his floor. If he and Daniel Jones can create
a connection that allows him to get into the end zone with any
frequency, there’s no reason to believe he can’t meet
or even exceed the lofty expectations many have for him this season.
The Giants signaled their dissatisfaction with their current
pass-catching options by selecting a wide receiver with the No.6
overall pick in the NFL Draft. With that in mind, it’s tough
to get very excited about any of the other wide receivers in what
is expected to be a low-efficiency Giants passing game. Players
like Darius Slayton have had their moments, and Jalin Hyatt was
a hot name rising up many fantasy draft boards prior to the 2023
season. However, the odds-on favorite to see the most playing
time aside from Malik Nabers has to be Wan'Dale Robinson.
Robinson is a slot specialist who uses his speed to create separation
near the line of scrimmage and make plays after the catch. That
skill set is something the Giants don’t have much of on
their existing roster. Given their still-shaky offensive line
and questionable quarterback play, there’s a good chance
they will need to utilize Robinson’s abilities.
Unfortunately, these types of players don’t often become
fantasy superstars because, while they may have a high catch rate,
they don’t often break off big plays that result in touchdowns.
Instead, they typically make a few catches each game. Five receptions
for 50 yards and no touchdowns doesn’t sound exciting for
fantasy purposes.
Perhaps the addition of a true field-stretching star receiver
like Malik Nabers can open things up for Robinson underneath and
allow him to find more room after the catch. However, it’s
fairly likely that we’ll see Robinson take a step back in
overall target share, which will limit his potential as a fantasy
asset. Still, he is someone who could be a late-round option for
those in very deep PPR formats.
Darren Waller’s abrupt retirement has left the Giants scrambling
at tight end, turning to third-year San Diego State TE Daniel
Bellinger to lead the group heading into the season. Bellinger
compiled just 771 yards and scored five touchdowns over four collegiate
seasons in the Mountain West Conference, then followed that up
with two uninspiring professional seasons with the Giants.
He does possess impressive athleticism that could suggest untapped
potential, but we haven’t seen it manifest on the football
field yet. As such, Bellinger is not draftable in most formats,
especially given that his role as the team’s top tight end
is not secure.
Rookie Theo Johnson is an even more impressive size/speed specimen.
While he didn’t do much in terms of receptions or yardage
during his four years at Penn State, he did manage to score seven
touchdowns on just 34 receptions in his final collegiate season.
Johnson is an extremely raw prospect who is unlikely to get much
playing time early in the season, but he could end up supplanting
Bellinger if he starts to flash big-play ability in the opportunities
he does get.
