Russell Wilson signs with the New York Giants: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact
The New York Giants struggled mightily last season, posting a 3-14 overall record. They even cut bait on quarterback Daniel Jones midway through the season, handing the reigns over to players like Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito in the process and essentially giving up on the year. To say this is a team in transition would be an understatement as New York is a team that needs a complete overhaul. The challenge with the franchise is clear – Head Coach Brian Daboll values his employment and has no desire to rebuild the team from the ground up. He’d instead like to find a way to compete, even in the uber-competitive NFC East. As such, New York signed quarterback Jameis Winston to a deal last week and flirted with free agent Aaron Rodgers as well. However, that flirtation seems to be over now as New York signed former Seahawks, Broncos and Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson tonight, truly complicating matters in the process. Let’s re-assess some player values as a result of Wilson landing in the Big Apple because it really is a deal that has some ramifications in dynasty leagues.
Russell Wilson, QB NYG
Wilson was famously a third round pick of the Seahawks in 2012 who promptly (and inexplicably) won the starting job out of camp and re-wrote Seattle history, bringing the city their first and only Super Bowl title and nearly a second the following year. Over his ten years in Seattle, he was simply brilliant, with four different 4,000-yard seasons and nearly 300 touchdown passes. For nearly a decade, he was a “set it and forget it” QB1 in dynasty leagues as well. However, all good things come to an end and Seattle sent Wilson to the Broncos prior to the 2022 season.
Somehow everything changed.
Wilson shockingly struggled in Denver over his first season, looking like a shell of himself and throwing for just 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions and posting a career-low (by far) 38.7 QBR. In short, it was a disaster. There was new hope when new Head Coach Sean Payton arrived, but he never really committed much to Wilson and despite a better season in 2023 that included 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, he threw for just 3,070 on a career-low 6.9 yards per attempt. In the end, Payton just never warmed to the idea of Wilson being his guy and instead drafted Bo Nix, ultimately moving on from the veteran in the process.
Wilson signed on with the Steelers last season and replaced a relatively effective Justin Fields midway through the season, throwing for nearly 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions over 11 games. The challenge is he seemed to fade down the stretch and still never really looked like vintage Wilson. Pittsburgh toyed with the idea of bringing him back, but it seems they never really tried that hard, so Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Giants reportedly worth $21 million, with $10.5 million guaranteed and said goodbye to Steel City in the process.
In New York, Wilson will presumably be the de facto starter. Fellow veteran Jameis Winston signed a two-year deal worth just $8 million last week, so the money makes it clear Wilson is going to be the guy unless he falls flat on his face. However, this is also a one-year pact and the Giants currently hold the third pick in the NFL Draft. They could very easily draft a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders and simply use Wilson as a placeholder. Regardless, Wilson is really in the QB2 territory for as long as he starts. We just haven’t seen enough from him over the past few years to have much more confidence than that. On the plus side, it does look like he was able to squeak out one more starting gig before his career comes to a close. He remains a decent dynasty stash as a backup quarterback or injury replacement on your roster. At the very least, he should be good for a few deep balls to one Malik Nabers.
Jameis Winston, QB NYG
It was looking quite possible that Winston would keep the seat warm for a rookie, but that seems to be off the table now. The former top pick just is who he is – a quarterback capable of some amazing games, but also one who simply takes too many risks for a franchise to ever rely on him fully. There have been few players who run as hot and cold as Winston and keeping him on a dynasty roster now is going to be pretty tough. In the end, he’s destined to be called upon for a handful of games each year and he could win or lose your fantasy matchup in any given one of those weeks.
Tommy DeVito, QB NYG
With both Wilson and Winston both in the fold, it’s hard to see a spot for DeVito on the Giants roster or on any dynasty one as well. It was fun while it lasted, but DeVito really does seem like backup material (at best) in the NFL. If you have him on your roster in a superflex league, it’s time to move on.
Malik Nabers, WR NYG
It can’t get any worse than last season, honestly. Even with sub-par (to be kind) quarterback play last season, Nabers was somehow still able to post 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. Whether it’s Wilson, Winston, or a rookie throwing to him, those numbers could all go up, and that’s flat-out scary. Nabers is clearly a WR1 in dynasty leagues and having this mix of quarterbacks really should solidify his standing as a top-five asset in dynasty leagues.
Darius Slayton, WR NYG
The Giants paid some good money ($36 million over three years with a $9 million signing bonus) to keep Slayton around. He’s always been a good receiver, but never really a player who could be relied upon in dynasty leagues. However, you have to like this signing for him. Over his six years in the NFL, he’s averaged 15 yards per catch and Wilson can still throw as good a deep ball as anyone. There could be some sneaky good value with Slayton right now as his ADP is hovering around 220. While not a trade target on his own, you could do worse as a throw-in on a deal.
Other Giants Receivers
This group consists of Wan’Dale Robinson, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Jalin Hyatt, Zach Pascal, and others. With Nabers commanding the lion’s share of the targets and Slayton back in the mix, Robinson is likely the only player out of this group to get too excited about. Hyatt still has some potential, but we’re getting to the point where we need to see it. In the end, he’s starting to look like a bit of a roster clogger.
2025 Quarterback Class
The Shedeur Sanders watch is on now. This signing really doesn’t preclude the Giants from taking Sanders at #3 overall, though it also could buy them a year if they needed it. We’ll find out soon enough, but if Sanders is indeed drafted by the Giants, dynasty managers shouldn’t let the combination of Wilson and Winston stop them from investing in Sanders as this whole thing looks like a serious short-term band-aid.
Aaron Rodgers, QB FA
Well, there you have it. It’s Pittsburgh or bust for A-Rod, or so it seems. New York seemed to be the last team that really was in the mix other than the Steelers, so Rodgers is going to need to make a decision here sooner rather than later. He may have just lost some leverage as well.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
