Dynasty Capsule: New York Giants

Bruce Matson

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 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.”

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QUARTERBACK

ELI MANNING

Manning started 15 games this season, accumulating a 3-12 record for the New York Giants. He passed for 3,468 yards, his lowest total since 2008. He completed 61.6 percent of his passes and tossed 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Manning had career lows in yards per attempt (6.1) and QBR (41.7).

The Giants’ receiving corps was riddled with injuries. Star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., played in just four games this season after suffering a broken ankle against the Los Angeles Chargers in week five. The team was also without Brandon Marshall, who was placed on injured reserve for season-ending ankle surgery. It’s easy to see that Manning didn’t receive a fair shake this season, considering most of his weapons weren’t at his disposal. The Giants would have easily won more than three games if their receiving group was at full health.

There’s a chance that Manning could get cut this off-season. The Giants will save $5.3 million if they give Manning his walking papers. He is also scheduled to receive a $5 million roster bonus on March 16th. Giants’ GM, Dave Gettleman, is indicating that he would like to bring back Manning as the team’s starting quarterback next season.

Dynasty owners must be prepared for both scenarios. If he gets cut, then he’s going to either retire or sign with another team. Either way, his dynasty stock is either going to stay the same or see a significant drop. Even if the Giants decide to keep him around for another year or two, they are still more than likely going to draft a quarterback in this year’s draft to be his inevitable replacement.

GENO SMITH

Smith got the opportunity to start one game this season and in that game, he completed 21 of his 34 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown against the Oakland Raiders. Smith is what he is: a serviceable backup quarterback who holds zero value in fantasy. He will be a free agent in 2018 and more than likely, he will be signing with another team to be their backup quarterback.

DAVIS WEBB

The Giants drafted Webb in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s a developmental prospect who might need a new home if the Giants elect to spend their first-round pick on a quarterback. There’s talk that Eli Manning might return next season which would eliminate Webb’s opportunity to fight for the starting job. His career archetype is starting to resemble the career of a journeyman back up quarterback. I don’t want any part of that on my dynasty teams because it appears that he won’t ever develop into a functional asset for fantasy.

RUNNING BACK

ORLEANS DARKWA

Darkwa led the team in rushing with 751 yards and five touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 116 yards. He will be testing the free agent waters this off-season. No matter who he signs with, he will be at most a complementary piece in a committee but more than likely a backup. Darkwa’s dynasty value is non-existent and he will need a bevy of injuries to happen in order for him to become a bell-cow back.

WAYNE GALLMAN

The Giants drafted Gallman in the fourth-round of last year’s draft. He finished his rookie campaign rushing for 476 yards while averaging 4.3 yards per attempt. He also caught 34 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown. If the Giants refrain from drafting or picking up another running back in free agency, then Gallman will be the frontrunner for the team’s starting running back spot. However, this class is stacked with talent and it’s going to be hard for the Giants to pass on some of these running backs in the middle to late rounds of the draft. Gallman remains a strong stash in dynasty.

SHANE VEREEN

Vereen rushed for 164 yards this season while catching 44 passes for 253 yards. He will be a free agent this off-season and will likely get the opportunity to play for another team next year. Even though his skills are starting to diminish, he can still be effective in the passing game. Vereen’s dynasty value is currently in purgatory but could be revived if he gets picked up by a team who is willing to use him heavily in the passing game.

PAUL PERKINS

Perkins rushed for 90 yards while averaging 2.2 yards per carry. He struggled mightily to get anything going on the ground this year and it appears he’s not the answer for the Giants’ rushing attack. A rib injury sidelined him for a large portion of the season. Perkins should remain a popular end-of-bench stash in dynasty through the off-season. Even if the team brings in another running back, his stock shouldn’t drop too much, because he isn’t expected to be the team’s lead back next year.

WIDE RECEIVER

ODELL BECKHAM

Beckham played in just four games last season before suffering a broken ankle that prematurely ended his season. He should be back to full health for next season and continue to be one of the top wide receivers in the game. There have been some rumblings concerning whether he will receive a contract extension. Unless he suffers another serious injury or experiences a major drop in production, expect him to be a Giant for a very long time. The injury didn’t affect his dynasty stock too much considering he still has a 1.67 ADP. At 25 years old, Beckham should be rated as one of the top assets to own in dynasty for a very long time.

BRANDON MARSHALL

An ankle injury caused him to be placed on injured reserve early in the season, which meant he appeared in just five games. The end is near for Marshall. He will be 34 years old going into next season and it’s hard to tell how many more seasons he has left in the tank. His dynasty value has bottomed out to a 232.33 ADP, making him a cheap buy on the trade market. At that price-point, Marshall is worth taking a flier on if you still think he can string together a few more productive seasons.

STERLING SHEPARD

Shepard finished his season catching 59 passes for 731 yards and two touchdowns. Due to injuries, he played in just 11 games this season. He had ten fantasy points or more in 54.54 percent of his games. Expect volatile production out of Shepard as long as he’s on the Giants’ roster. Since Beckham will command a large market share of the passing targets, there won’t be enough passing volume within the offense to fuel multiple receivers for consistent fantasy production. Shepard currently has an ADP of 62.50, making him a sixth-round pick in startup drafts. He’s only 24 years old and should be a solid flex option in dynasty for years to come.

ROGER LEWIS

Lewis received an opportunity to prove himself this season when both Beckham and Marshall were placed on injured reserve. However, he didn’t take advantage of his opportunity as he only produced three games with ten or more fantasy points. His lackluster production makes it hard to get excited about his dynasty value. He currently has an ADP of 224 and is valued as an end-of-bench stash in dynasty leagues. Depending on league size, he is probably best left on the waiver wire.

TRAVIS RUDOLPH

Rudolph spent the majority of the season on the practice squad. He played in eight games and managed to catch eight passes for 101 yards. As a free agent this off-season, Rudolph will look to latch onto another NFL team. At most, he’s an end-of-bench stash in super-deep leagues, but other than that, he’s just waiver wire fodder in most dynasty formats.

HUNTER SHARP

This is Sharp’s third team in two seasons. Previously, he was on the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos’ roster. Sharp is your typical journeyman player who will bounce from practice squad to practice squad until he’s finally out of the league. There’s nothing to see here.

MARQUIS BUNDY

At 6-foot-4 and 215-pounds, Bundy has the size to be a typical WR1 at the NFL level. However, the odds of him cracking an NFL roster and becoming a fantasy relevant asset are slim to none.

KALIF RAYMOND

I have a better chance at buying a used car from him than feeling the need to roster him in dynasty.

AMBA ETTA-TAWO

He had one mega-productive season at Syracuse where he caught 94 passes for 1,482 yards and 14 touchdowns. That alone makes him an intriguing prospect. The Giants just signed him to a future reserves contract and he will get the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp. He may never materialize as a fantasy relevant asset in dynasty but he’s still a prospect to keep on your watch list.

TIGHT END

EVAN ENGRAM

Engram caught 64 passes for 722 yards and six touchdowns. He had eight games with 12 or more fantasy points. The DLF staff has him ranked 3.33 amongst tight ends and 47.14 overall. Engram has the potential to develop into one of the most coveted assets in dynasty. His value should only increase during the offseason, considering his age, draft capital, and recent production.

RHETT ELLISON

He has been in the league for six seasons and has never been a fantasy relevant asset. He’s just a role player and will never command a large enough market share of the targets to ever be a consistent starter in fantasy.

JERELL ADAMS

Adams is a highly athletic tight end prospect who has the potential to develop into a fantasy relevant asset in the future. Engram is the team’s main tight end and he’s going to hog a large portion of the team’s targets. Adams’ best chance for success would be to land on another team when his contract is up with the Giants. Right now, he is best left on the waiver wire, unless you’re in a dynasty league with super deep rosters.

RYAN O’MALLEY

O’Malley will more than likely bounce from team to team until he’s no longer in the league. I highly doubt he will ever be roster-worthy in dynasty.

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bruce matson