Team Previews - New York Giants

Projected Starting Lineup

QB: Eli Manning RB: Saquon Barkley WR: Odell Beckham WR: Sterling Shepard WR: Cody Latimer TE: Evan Engram

LT: Nate Solder LG: Will Hernandez C: Jon Halapio RG: Patrick Omameh RT: Ereck Flowers

Giants Offensive Profile Last Four Years 2014-2017 Pass Attempts Rank: 9th, 6th, 8th, 1st 2014-2017 Rush Attempts Rank: 10th, 19th, 22nd, 25th 2014-2017 Play Volume Rank: 4th, 11th, 16th, 10th 2014-2017 Yards Per Play Rank: 15th, 9th, 23rd, 26th Unaccounted for Air Yards from 2017 (Rank): 869 (23rd) Unaccounted for Carries from 2017 (Rank): 264 (5th)

Pat Shurmur's average offensive production as an Offensive Coordinator in the NFL. (6 Seasons)

Passing: ATT COMP PCT YDS AVG YDS/G LONG TD TD% INT INT% SACK YDSL RATE

569 354 62.2 3914 7 232 64 23 4.05 15 2.7 37 247 85

Rushing: ATT YDS AVG LONG 20+ TD YDS/G FUM FUML 1DN

460 1937 4.2 59 13 13 126 6 4 106

Receiving: REC TAR YDS AVG TD LONG 20+ YDS/G FUM FUML YAC 1DN

354 567 3957 11.2 23 67 53 253 4 2.7 1948 190

Quarterback- Eli Manning enters his 15th season with the New York Giants. It will be the first time in a long time that he has a running back that can help take some of the load off the passing game. While there has been a steady decline over the last 5 seasons, Eli looks poised to have his best offensive cast around him. The Giants also made a major coaching upgrade, as Pat Shurmur will be calling plays and leading the Giants on Sunday's after the firing of Ben McAdoo. Manning is also a completely different player with #13 in the lineup averaging nearly 6 more fantasy points a game with Beckham playing. The decline is clear as he just isn't nearly the quarterback that he was, but with the weapons he has around him one more deep run is possible. If the offensive line can stay healthy, we are looking at 4,200 yard, 30 touchdown type season for Manning. It just so happens that quarterback is the deepest position in the draft and it makes Manning no more than a high upside QB2. Wide Receiver-

After an extremely disappointing season, Odell Beckham looks to be healthy and ready for a massive 2018 season. Having dealt with a high ankle sprain suffered in the preseason, he then ended his season early with a broken fibula in week 4. In his first three years in the league, Beckham averaged 96 catches, 1,374 yards and 12 touchdowns a year. He is a flat out fantasy monster when healthy and is someone I am looking at in the mid-to-late first round. Sterling Shepard will capatalize on the double coverage that Beckham will draw often this season as he looks to improve upon his solid first two years in the league. Having led the team in receiving yards last season, Shepard will now go back to his more comfortable role as the teams secondary receiver. He has TD upside and was a favorite of Manning's in the red zone his rookie season when he caught 8 touchdowns. I think he can be a solid WR3 and has potential WR2 upside with Beckham's injury history.

The remainder of the receiving corp will be filled out by Russell Shepard, Cody Latimer who have been nothing more than role players to date. With so many targets going to Beckham, Sheppard, Barkley and Engram, there will not be a WR3 on the Giants worth a draft selection. Tight End-Evan Engram enters his second season at tight end after a very good rookie season. Eli looked Engram's way often (115) targets which was second most among tight ends trailing only Travis Kelces (123). While he should see his targets drop this season with Beckhams return, he will get a lot more single coverage which should increase his efficiency. I would expect an increase in his 55.7% catch rate and for him to reduce his drops (11) from last year as he should be much more comfortable in his second season. With tight end being the weakest position in fantasy, Engram is one of those mid to late round players that has an extremely high ceiling if he can become more consistent. Running Back- If there was a better NFL combine for a running back than I would like to see it. Clocking a 4.4-forty, benching 29 reps of 225 to go along with a 41-inch vertical, Saquon Barkley cemented himself as the top player in the draft with his workout in Indianapolis. The do-it-all back from Penn State should see similar volume to Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson. He is extremely dynamic with the ball in his hands and the Giants will be feeding it to him anyway that they can with Pat Shurmur calling plays. The one criticism I have of Barkley is his lack of patience between the tackles as he is often looking to bounce things to the outside. He dominated the BIG-Ten, rushing for 3,843 yards, 43 touchdowns in just three years. He was just as deadly in the passing game having totaled 103 catches for 1,166 yards and 8 more touchdowns. I am expecting close to 400 touches for Barkley in his rookie campaign and have him as the 7th best player in this years fantasy football draft.

There will not be many scraps left for the backups in New York but Wayne Gallman will be the beneficiary if Barkley ever comes off the field. Behind Gallman the Giants signed Jonathan Stewart, but at 31 I am not looking to grab him off of the scrap heap should anything happen to Barkley. Wayne Gallman is a much younger and viable candidate, who would also get the third down role should anything happen to Barkley. 2018 Vegas Win Total The Giants’ Win Total opened at 6.5. The schedule is absolutely brutal early as the Giants will see the Jags, Texans, Saints, Panthers, Eagles and Falcons before week 7. If they can manage the early start, they will be in the thick of the playoff race. I love the upgrade on offense with Shurmur calling plays and the weapons Eli has all over the field. I think much like his brother, Eli has one last run at things and they go over the 6.5 and contend for the division. I also wouldn't mind grabbing a couple 50-1 shots for the Super Bowl as well, this team has tons of talent on offense and should be a much better coached team with McAdoo gone.