Eli Manning and the Giants offense looked terrible in the first
half of the 2014 season as the veteran quarterback struggled to
learn Ben McAdoo’s new scheme. After a few weeks of growing pains
and the emergence of Odell Beckham Jr., Manning posted an impressive
27:10 TD/Int ratio in his final 14 games, including a 391-yard,
three-touchdown performance in Week 16 against the Rams. After
Manning’s early struggles in 2014, he managed to finish with his
second best point-per-game fantasy average of his eleven-year
NFL career. A full season of Beckham, the addition of pass-catching
running back Shane Vereen, and the return of Victor Cruz from
a patella injury make Eli an enticing late-round quarterback for
owners who opt to wait on a quarterback in drafts this summer.
On a negative note, a season-ending injury to left tackle Will
Beatty will make an already suspect offensive line even more questionable.
Although McAdoo’s offense is built upon quick throws and fast
reads, Manning will not be able to effective if his line is a
glorified turnstile in 2015.
A injury prone veteran running back who managed to play only
11 games in his first season as the starter for the Giants, Jennings
posted his second lowest yard per carry average (3.8) while scoring
a mere four touchdowns. Not exactly the type of production owners
expected when he was drafted in the fourth round of most fantasy
drafts in 2014.To make matters worse for Jennings, the Giants
added pass-catching specialist Shane Vereen via free agency this
offseason, likely reducing the number of receptions Jennings will
see out of the backfield. Add second-year back Andre Williams
in the mix, despite his limitations as a pass catcher, and Jennings
is not an overly attractive fantasy option this season. Despite
all of these negatives against Jennings, he is the starting back
entering the season on an offense that produced the fourth-most
plays in 2014. If you can get him late, Jennings is worthy of
a pick as a very low-end RB2 or flex option.
The Giants added Vereen this offseason after four years as a
member of the Patriots. He will likely be the third-down back
for the Giants with Rashad Jennings working on early downs and
Andre Williams working in as a change of pace and possible goal
line option. Although his carries will be limited and Vereen has
yet to total more than 100 attempts in a single season, he will
have fantasy value as a flex play in PPR formats. The Giants own
one of the worst offensive lines in the league and the season
ending injury to starting tackle Will Beatty will likely force
the Giants to play the superior pass blocking back Vereen more
than anticipated.
Beckham burst onto the scene after missing the first six games
of the season to deliver one of the most impressive campaigns
in the history of fantasy football. In twelve games, the former
LSU star caught 91 balls for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, carrying
many fantasy owners to victory with three-straight 25-point performances
to close out the season. As expected, Beckham Jr. is a highly
sought after player in 2015, earning an early round pick in all
formats. The question is will the volume of targets and catches
be there for Beckham with the return of Victor Cruz and the defensive
adjustments made by opposing teams. In addition, a hamstring injury
has limited his offseason training this spring and could be a
concern as it could linger into the season. Fantasy owners who
expect OBJ to produce similar fantasy per game numbers in 2015
may be disappointed, especially if they use an early first round
pick to select the flashy wide receiver. However, owners who are
looking for top-10 WR stats with the possibility of top-5 WR production
will likely have their wishes granted.
A season-ending knee injury limited Cruz to six games in 2014,
opening the door for Odell Beckham Jr. to explode as the top receiving
threat for Eli Manning in the passing game. Although Cruz has
maintained throughout the offseason that he will avoid the PUP
list and be able to play Week one, kneecap and patellar injuries
like the one he sustained tend to limit players about a full calendar
year. It also remains to be seen if the knee injury will have
lingering effects on Cruz, a player who became to prominence because
of his shifty route running and explosive plays. He’s avoided
the PUP list at the outset of training camp which is a good sign
but keep a close eye on his usage and mobility during pre-season
contests. Being ready for Week 1 and being effective Week 1 are
two different things.
A third-year wide receiver who was the darling of many fantasy
football writers as a breakout candidate in 2014, Randle delivered
a solid but underwhelming third season. He received a career high
127 targets and delivered 71 catches and 938 yards, but his three
receiving touchdowns were disappointing considering he scored
six times on 41 receptions in 2013. As opposing teams scheme to
double Odell Beckham Jr. this season after his breakout rookie
campaign in 2014, look for Randle to receive single coverage throughout
the year. Eli Manning has been glowing about Randle this summer,
telling reporters that he believes Randle can be a dominant receiver
and that his maturity level has improved. With all the hype surrounding
OBJ this season, Randle may be the better value as he can be had
much later in drafts.
TE Larry
Donnell (2014 WR Rank - No. 12, 6.1 FPts/G)
Larry Donnell’s rookie season can be broken down in to
two separate parts. One in which he burst onto the scene as a
fantasy darling with four touchdowns and four 50-plus yard receiving
games to start the season. And the second half, when he went M.I.A
for fantasy owners down the stretch in route to failing to score
a single TD or top 60 receiving yards in the final six games of
the year. The former Grambling Tiger enters season two as the
starting tight end in what appears to be a potent offense. The
question is will he continue to be an afterthought with Odell
Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz garnering the majority
of targets, or will he return to his early season form from last
year as a reliable redzone threat for Eli Manning? The addition
of third-down back Shane Vereen could also eat into the number
of targets Donnell receives, as Vereen could take over the role
of outlet receiver underneath for Manning. Donnell is a viable
top-12 tight end, but he lacks the upside of other lower ranked
tight ends like Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Ladarius Green and Jordan
Cameron.
