Daniel Killed Kenny? The Dynasty Impact of Kenny Golladay to the Giants
After days of rumors, speculation, and even being used as bait, Kenny Golladay has finally found a new home. He heads to the New York Football Giants on a four-year, $72 million dollar deal that lands him firmly in the clutches of Jason Garrett and company. This comes after being rumored to the Chicago Bears in a clever ruse that finally took Allen Robinson off the fence about signing his franchise tag.
While this move has definite dynasty implications for the Detroit Lions, it also brings major impact to the Giants roster. Let’s dive right into the ripples this splash will cause.
Kenny Golladay, WR NYG
(WR25, ADP 52.33)
Golladay heads to the Big Apple after an injury-riddled 2020 season that only allowed him to be on the field for five games. In those five games, he averaged 6.4 targets, four receptions, for 67.6 yards per contest. He also came down with two scores during that stretch.
The injury-shortened season came after playing all 16 games in 2019 and finishing as WR5 in .5PPR scoring formats. During that season, Golladay amassed 1,190 receiving yards on 116 targets and hauled in 11 touchdowns. The yards, touchdowns, and gaudy 18.3 yards-per-reception were all career highs.
Since entering the league in 2017, Golladay has made a name (and a location-based nickname) for himself for his ability to capitalize on big plays. With a career average of 16.8 yards-per-reception, he has excelled at making contested catches and getting tough yards after the catch.
Golladay slots in at WR25 per the most recent ADP, putting him on the fringe-WR1 radar. His size and speed combination mixed with the ability to go after those difficult yards after the catch, make him a nice fit in this offense. It would not be a surprise to see his ADP trend upwards, but the development of his quarterback will be a big key.
Golladay will obviously require some time to acclimate to the new offense, scheme, and quarterback. However, his skill set, size, speed, and contested-catch ability paired with this offense could bode well for positive fantasy output. There will also be a trickle-down effect among the other offensive skill positions players. At just 27 years old, his value should remain high. Daniel Jones will need to progress, but Golladay looks to be the top target in this offense moving forward.
Darius Slayton, WR NYG
While not necessarily considered a sophomore slump, Slayton failed to achieve the true-breakout many dynasty managers had hoped for in his second year as a pro, as indicated by the stats he put up below:
*Courtesy of Fantasy Pros
Despite playing two more games and receiving 12 more targets, Slayton finished below the fantasy output mark of his rookie season, largely based on fewer scores. While touchdowns remain the un-stickiest of stats, the disappointment was noticed not only by dynasty managers but his real-life football team as well, thus beginning the search for an alpha wide receiver like Golladay to add to the mix.
Slayton saw an uptick in target percentage, from 16% to 19% last season. His target share could fluctuate with the addition of Golladay to the offense, but he may benefit from having an alpha receiver to command defensive attention.
Sterling Shepard, WR NYG
As far as beneficiaries go, Sterling Shepard may be the brightest uptick in value on the roster. This perceived vault in value comes at the expense of addition by subtraction. The release of Golden Tate paired with the addition of Golladay means one significant thing for Shepard – a triumphant return to the slot.
Shepard excels as a slot receiver, making the addition of a slot-only receiver for the 2020 season a questionable one and capping his fantasy value. Despite moving to the outside, he still finished 656 receiving yards and three scores last season, thus reinforcing the fact he’s most effective in the slot.
Having Slatyon opposite Golladay aligns Shepard as the slot receiver in three-wide receiver sets. The expectation is that having a monster on the perimeter could command enough defensive attention to leave the middle of the field susceptible to attack.
Shepard strolls into the 2020 season with his career 7.2 targets per-game and a return to the slot. His current ADP is WR65, one spot ahead of Slayton – Sheapard will always be hit and miss, but the addition of Golladay could actually help him.
Evan Engram, TE NYG
Ah yes, we cannot leave Evan Engram out in the cold on analysis. The young tight end has consistently remained inconsistent from a positional scoring standpoint. Engram finished the 2020 season at TE16 last season, averaging 6.8 fantasy-points-per-game despite finishing eighth among the position in receiving yards. He only found the end zone one time, which was one less than the corpse of Jason Witten. Engram finished with his lowest catch percentage (57.8%) since his rookie season and visibly struggled through some drop issues. The Giants have also brought in veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph to either assist in development or siphon red-zone targets. Which, at this point. remains a mystery.
Engram possesses the athletic measurables to succeed at the NFL level, yet has failed to capitalize or exceed the fantasy scoring he put up during his rookie season. Jason Garrett has been successful in utilizing the position to move the ball. Perhaps another season in the system and the addition of a deeper threat will yield positive results for Engram. He sneaks in at TE11 per current ADP and has an outlook of growth, both from OC, quarterback, and offense to make him a possible surprise for the coming season.
Saquon Barkley, RB NYG
Injury derailed Saquon Barkley’s 2020 season after only two games. Barkley has the talent and volume to bolster any offense, provided a less than tragic offensive line exists in front of him. As a receiver out of the backfield, Barkley has seen 121 and 73 targets respectively when he has played more than 13 games.
Expected to be healthy heading into the 2021 season, Barkley remains a high-talent option at the position and could only expect more success with defenses having to pay a little more respect to the passing game. At just 24 years old, Barkley comes in at RB3 per the most current ADP.
Daniel Jones, QB NYG
Finally, let us assess what this means for Daniel Jones. Jones has flashed brilliance in his ability to extend plays and use his legs. Despite that, we saw some struggles as a passer last season compared to his rookie campaign. Jones finished his sophomore season with only 11 passing touchdowns, compared to 24 from his rookie season. He also threw 10 interceptions, compared to 12 his rookie season.
The Giants offensive line did little in the way of favors for their starting quarterback. They allowed a 29.% pressure rate, the second-highest in football last season. They were also ninth overall in allowing quarterback hits. Missing Barkley also certainly played a role in protection and limiting his decision making time in the pocket. Jones had 39 deep ball attempts last season, one of several numbers we should see increase this season.
While the Giants still need to address the offensive line, they have surrounded Jones with weapons in an effort to produce growth. Jones comes in at QB22 in single quarterback ADP and QB23 in superflex formats. This puts him in a position to be a low-risk value play, especially in two-quarterback/superflex formats where he is more likely to be drafted and rostered.
2021 NFL DRAFT
The addition of Golladay should force the Giants to address their offensive line woes and fill some gaps on their defense as well. However, there have been rumors linking the Giants to TE Kyle Pitts and Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle early in the draft.
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