Dynasty Capsule: New York Giants
Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the regular season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.
Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”
Quarterbacks
Fresh off of a contract extension signed last off-season, Manning looks poised to be at the helm for the Giants for at least several more years. What the Giants are getting return is an inconsistent, but good, quarterback. Fantasy wise, Eli has put up two of his best seasons under newly minted head coach Ben McAdoo. Having more completions, touchdowns, and yards in 2015 than in 2014 while maintaining efficiency levels, the arrow is currently pointing slightly up for him. He has the talent and ability to be a top-five quarterback for us in dynasty, but he fails to regularly play to his talent level and is plagued by a lackluster supporting cast that keeps his dynasty ceiling grounded around his 2015 positional finish of 10.
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Barring an injury to Manning, there is a pretty significant chance that Nassib will never have a significant impact on fantasy leagues as a Giant. While Manning was freshly locked up on a new contract last off-season, Nassib is entering 2016 on the final year of his deal. Add in that he has a combined 10 attempts so far in his NFL career, and we don’t even really know what we have in him. If Eli gets injured, he is likely to be a boom or bust fill in level player, booming only if he gets some big connections with Odell Beckham Jr.
Running backs
I believe we’ve seen Jennings reach his peak and begin his decline, and 2015 represented his ceiling with the Giants.Under contract through 2017, it is easy to imagine a scenario in which he does not play out that contract. Giants running backs have not been a fantasy tour de force in recent years. Jennings played the lead role for 2015 and still only managed to eek out a positional finish of 20th. That isn’t terrible, but McAdoo’s apparent thirst for committee at the running back position coupled with Jennings age leave his future prospects less than rosy.
Oh, what could have been. Vereen was a potential PPR monster heading into 2015 with question marks surrounding Jennings and Andre Williams, he lead role was there for the taking if Vereen had been up to the task. Whether through faults of his own or McAdoo’s preferences for committee, Shane Vereen merely played a passing down role for the Giants. In theory, that should be a lucrative role since the Giants defense has some holes; however, the reality is that Vereen only carved out a positional finish of 37. He is under contract cheaply through 2017, though, so keep an eye out for more opportunities in his future.
What is there to say? Most analysts believed he was a plodder heading into 2015 with a limited skill set after a 3.3 ypc performance in 2014. He did nothing to prove them wrong, failing to capitalize on some early season opportunities en route to a positional finish of 79 with a whopping 2.9 YPC. The door looks to be closing on Williams opportunity to carve out a significant role on this offense, although his appealing salary cap numbers indicate he may be held onto by the Giants through 2017 as a goal-line specialist. He doesn’t appear to have what it takes to become a relevant fantasy asset going forward.
Darkwa performed adequately in limited looks in 2015, running to the tune of 4.3 YPC. He entered 2015 as a dark-horse candidate to carve out a role, but that never truly materialized. He now is an exclusive rights free agent, and with other running backs on the Giants roster providing a better pedigree along with cheap contracts, Darkwa may be the odd man out. He is a man to keep an eye on, however, if the Giants to bring him back. He has an all around skill set that might give him a chance to set himself apart.
Wide Receivers
You don’t need me to tell you that OBJ is a stud. His dynasty ADP has hovered in the top five for over a year now, and there is nothing indicating that is a mistake. He can run all the routes and, despite his size, has great a great “my ball” mentality with the skills to back it up against larger defensive backs. Under contract through 2018, or 2019 if the Giants exercise a club option, Beckham is about as safe of a bet as you can get in dynasty these days. His combination of age, production, and system fit is arguably unmatched in the NFL. My only concern with him is that he is a bit of a diva and his antics have already led to a suspension. Keep an eye on his ability to keep his emotions in check, or he could be spending more time on the sideline going forward.
The Roob enters 2016 as a free agent after years of inconsistent play with the Giants. I personally like him as a WR3/4 on my dynasty squads, but my hopes of him ever elevating himself above that have been dashed. His physical profile, offensive scheme, and playing across from Beckham led me to believe he could have really broken out this year as a WR2, but he instead turned in a merely OK campaign. It is worth noting, however, that due to his touchdown rate he posted a positional finish of 29th, squarely between Randall Cobb and Travis Benjamin. If the Giants do bring him back, there is still a role for him to play and with improved efficiency he could be a surprise contributor in 2016. If he’s not back with the Giants, all bets are off as he is likely to land in a worse situation.
Cruz is under contract through 2018, although it is for a prohibitively large amount of money. After consecutive years ended on the IR, the Giants front office has to seriously consider whether he can make a comeback and produce at a level commensurate with his salary. If they keep him and he does manage to overcome his injuries, there is a role for him in this offense as a slot man. He is likely polarizing at this time, and it may turn out to be worth your while to see what price he is going for in your dynasty leagues. He is a boom candidate if he returns, albeit with significant chances of busting going forward.
Harris came out of nowhere to play a significant role in the Giants offense this year after Preston Parker’s release. His upside is directly linked to Cruz’s recovery. If Cruz makes a comeback with the Giants, Harris is waiver wire fodder unless you are banking on another Cruz injury (shame on you, you should wish well of others.) He can play a role both for the Giants and for your squad, as long as you temper expectations and realize you’re getting a WR5/6. He is under contract for several more years, and his role in the return game all but guarantees he will be with the Giants until his contract runs out, regardless of his offensive role.
Nicks is a free agent heading into 2016, and the Giants would be wise to let him take his talents elsewhere. He isn’t the player he used to be and has barely had a pulse in fantasy for years.
Tight Ends
Tight End is a bit of a question mark for the Giants in terms of contract situations. Tye was easily their most productive tight end this season, but is an exclusive rights free agent that they will have to make a contract offer to. After his late season surge, he may command more money than the Giants are willing to cough up. If he is back with the Giants, I look for him to continue to grow in this offense and progressively carve out his piece of the pie. He was a surprise in 2015 and could still be a good buy low option at the position while other dynasty owners fight over guys with more buzz.
It is hard to be optimistic about Donnell’s future with the Giants. He missed most of 2015 with a neck injury, and was ineffective compared to the man who replaced him in the starting lineup. He is a free agent and the Giants may simply move on from him entirely. If they do bring him back, look for him to play second fiddle to the more effective Tye.
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- Sunday Morning Huddle: Week 15 - December 17, 2017
- Sunday Morning Huddle: Week 14 - December 10, 2017
- Sunday Morning Huddle: Week 13 - December 3, 2017
