2023 Fantasy Forecast: New York Giants

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Rushing & Receiving Table

						Rushing				Receiving				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
*2015	Duke	ACC	FR	QB										0	0		0
2016	Duke	ACC	FR	QB	12	141	486	3.4	7	1	0	0.0	0	142	486	3.4	7
*2017	Duke	ACC	SO	QB	13	161	518	3.2	7	0	0		0	161	518	3.2	7
*2018	Duke	ACC	JR	QB	11	104	319	3.1	3	1	6	6.0	0	105	325	3.1	3
Career	Duke					406	1323	3.3	17	2	6	3.0	0	408	1329	3.3	17

The surprising area of his game that stands out is his rushing ability. Jones has shown a remarkable ability to take off and make yards for his team when the pocket breaks down and nobody is open in the passing game. Jones has built upon this area of his game at the NFL level. This is particularly useful when it comes to fantasy points.

Jones played okay but lacked in the first three years of his stint in the Big Apple. It wasn’t until the arrival of new Head Coach Brian Daboll that Jones finally seemed to realize his full potential. On the biggest note, he cut down on the number of turnovers. He also became a much more efficient runner, hitting a career-high stat line of 120/708/7! This made up for his lackluster passing stats as Jones finished 2022 as the QB11 overall on the season. 

The most impressive part of Jones finishing 2022 as a low-end QB1 was that the Giants lacked a true WR1 in the passing game. Rookie receiver WanDale Robinson and Sterling Shepard were both injured. Former high-end free-agent addition Kenny Golladay was an absolute bust with the Giants. The team had also parted ways with former first-round tight end Evan Engram. Daniel Bellinger’s replacement had a wonderful start to his rookie campaign before suffering one of the more gruesome eye injuries you will ever see on a football field, fracturing his eye socket. 

DB was trying to punch this ball out, but missed and somehow punched into the gap in Daniel Bellinger’s face mask and fractured his eye socket. He might not play again this year.

One of the freakiest of freak injuries I’ve ever seen. Horrible luck.pic.twitter.com/p1mcD8qsJN

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) October 25, 2022

Heading into 2023, Daboll and the Giants did their best to surround Jones with better weaponry after giving him an excellent four-year $160 million deal. The team added former Colts second-round pick Parris Campbell, whose speed will help on the perimeter. They also added the reigning Belitnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt from the college ranks. Most important for Jones, though, was the team’s acquisition of tight end Darren Waller. The big 6’6″ Waller finally gives Jones a bonafide mismatch in the passing game.

The skeptics: "The #Giants didn't get Daniel Jones a true No. 1"
My two eyes: Darren Waller moves and looks like a WR1
George Kittle on PMT: "Darren Waller is the fastest TE we have at TEU"
Waller is going to change this offense entirely if he stays healthy. https://t.co/TunbCZgUql

— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) July 26, 2023

It is my belief that Jones is poised on the precipice of a true breakout in 2023. If the additional weapons placed around him can help him get back to 24 or more passing TDs to go along with his rushing numbers, he will be a threat to crack the top five at his position. He has an offensive-minded head coach who will simplify the system for him and put his weapons in the best position to succeed. Jones has an all-world running back who is one of the top receivers out of the backfield in the game, one of the top tight ends, some speedy receivers, and the wheels to do things, as you see below. 

A quick breakdown of Daniel Jones' two touchdown runs from an overloaded 13 personnel set pic.twitter.com/gu6d6EKMki

— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) October 3, 2022

One of the best parts about Jones for dynasty purposes is the price tag. Unless your league has a true believer who already manages him, you will find the price very affordable relative to young high-end starting quarterbacks. When looking through trades on the Dynasty Nerds Trade Browser, you see him being moved for older veterans or even less than rookie signal callers like Bryce Young. These are crazy good values in Superflex leagues. Do yourself a favor and scoop up Jones before it’s too late.

RB: Saquon Barkley

Regarding the New York Giants and fantasy football, Barkley is king. The former Penn State Nittany Lion is one of the most talented running backs we have seen in the NFL over the last decade or two. Quadzilla has a total skill set allowing him to remain on the field regardless of the situation. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the RB position throughout the league, this spot is a short-term job at the best of times. 

Barkley came into the NFL as one of the most athletically gifted running backs to ever see the field. His combine performance and his work in the weight room were both legendary. You can see his numbers below. 

Here's Penn State RB Saquon Barkley lifting 405 pounds. 😳

(🎥: @IronLions1) pic.twitter.com/P6t4uLZKSB

— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 30, 2017

Throughout his five-year NFL career, Barkley has used his skills well. He has enjoyed three high-end RB1 seasons, split up by two injury-plagued seasons. In the three seasons where he played at least 13 games, he has run for over 1,000 yards in each campaign. He has also displayed a nose for the endzone in those years, putting up an average of nine rushing scores per year. Nobody that has ever watched Barkley play will doubt his rushing ability.

Saquon Barkley makes a couple moves to get away from trouble and creates a big play for the #Giant as they're trying to come back to win the 4th pic.twitter.com/Z1w3I5zyaf

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 23, 2022

For our fantasy purposes, the most important aspect of Barkley’s game is his abilities as a receiver. Those skills are the ones that make an elite running back in today’s fantasy game. Nearly every rusher in the league can rush for somewhere around 1,000 yards and score some TDs if given a heavy enough workload. However, a few can make the type of plays in the passing game that Barkley can. He has averaged a 66/499/2 receiving line throughout his three healthy seasons. That is good for an extra 120+ fantasy points each season. You can see some of his receiving chops below. Like last season, 2023 is shaping up as a year where Barkley will operate as one of the top pass-catching options in the Giant’s attack. 

Saquon Barkley with the greatest catch behind the line of scrimmage of all time pic.twitter.com/0DraldTq0e

— PFF (@PFF) December 19, 2021

It's really easy to forget how great of a receiver Saquon Barkley (@saquon) is, especially after the catch!

The Giants NEED to get him more involved in the passing game, he's lethal in all facets. pic.twitter.com/2FBMIcSJux

— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) June 6, 2021

Now when it comes to Barkley, the price will be high. As with most high-end running backs, you must pay for the pleasure. Looking through the Dynasty Nerds Trade Browser, you will see some high-end assets being exchanged for the former first-round pick. I have seen everything from multiple first-round picks to last year’s rushing champion Josh Jacobs and a pick upgrade.

Despite his immense upside, Barkley is somewhat of a risk at this point in his career. Unless you are a win-now squad, exploring the trade market for the dynamic back might be a good idea. The recent current contract landscape for NFL running backs has been brutal. Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott were cut by their teams this off-season. Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade, while Josh Jacobs and Barkley himself have had standoffs with their current squads. Essentially, Barkley is a 2-3 year player who is the perfect RB1 for win-now squads. 

Behind Barkley, the Giants have an uninspiring group of running backs. The team currently has Matt Breida, Eric Gray, and James Robinson as the top backups. Breida is the most likely handcuff to carry some value if Barkley were injured. However, the most likely outcome is that if Barkley were to miss time, none of these players would carry real standalone value as the team would divulge into an ugly committee. 

WRs: Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins

The wide receiver position is the weakest skill group on the entire Giants roster. Unlike the team’s other skill groups, there is no established go-to player in the wide receiver group. Some intriguing youngsters are on the squad, a couple of retreads, and even some returning from injury. 

As we look at the current Giants roster, the names that stand out to me from an overall dynasty perspective are Robinson and Hyatt. Robinson was last year’s second-round selection. He showed some promising glimpses during his rookie year before tearing his ACL and missing the entire second half of the season. Despite being a diminutive 5’8″ and 185 lbs., Robinson is an electric playmaker with the ball in his hands. He will likely man the slot for Jones when he is fully healthy. From some of his rookie highlights, you can see why the team is excited to get him back into action. 

The New York Giants #1 slot WR, Wan’dale Robinson 😎 pic.twitter.com/Y3aYt3vRMC

— evin (@KayvonOjulari) March 23, 2023

Hyatt is the other exciting youngster on the roster. Some are overlooking Hyatt due to his fall in the draft. Despite being selected in the third round, Hyatt brings an intriguing skill set. The 6’0″ and 185 lb. playmaker is the reigning Belitnikoff Award winner from the college ranks. Yes, that is right, he was voted the top receiver in all of college football last season while making plays for the Tennessee Volunteers. When you check out his highlights from last season, it is easy to see why Daboll and Jones are excited to work Hyatt into the fold. He profiles as the long-term perimeter playmaker for the Giants. He is already beginning to turn heads in camp with impressive catches and an early connection with Jones. 

This throw and catch from Daniel Jones and Jalin Hyatt 🎯 pic.twitter.com/gi0KPGFmOk

— NFL Beat Writers (@32BeatWriters) July 31, 2023

The Giants have a new face in town with Campbell and the two intriguing youngsters. He is the former Ohio State speedster who spent the first four years of his career in Indianapolis. The former second-round pick has had a hard time staying healthy. However, when he has been on the field, he has made some very nice plays and flashed the talent that saw him drafted early. The initial reviews out of the Giants camp have been positive. Campbell will have a legitimate shot at claiming one of the starting receiver spots on the Giants due to his skill set and experience. 

Look at Parris Campbell. Healthy year might just mean breakout 👀 pic.twitter.com/Iet7VVVWnM

— Menace 2 Sports (@Menace2Sports) August 1, 2023

Hodgins and Slayton are the remaining receivers of note on the team. They bring a different skill set from the other receivers I have mentioned. Unlike Campbell, Hyatt, and Robinson, Hodgins and Slayton bring size to the table. At 6’4″ and 201 lbs., Hodgins brings a wire frame to give Daniel Jones some opportunities to play jump ball with his receiver. There is a decent chance he will play a role in the red zone, where his overall height makes him a nice target on fade routes. Slayton is no shorty in his own right, coming in at 6’1″ and 194 lbs. Last season Slayton led all Giants receivers in catches and yards. While I am not as excited about this pair of Giants pass catchers long-term, they may end up with most of the stats this year. 

The one thing that all the Giants pass catchers have in common is their cheap price tag. There might not be another team in the entire NFL devoid of a player worth a first-round pick in their receiver room. Searching through the Dynasty Nerds Trade Browser, you will find all these players being moved for quite reasonable prices. Do yourself a favor and scout these receivers. If you like one of them more than the others, make a play for him because the depth chart is wide-open, and all of the Giant’s receivers are attainable. 

TE: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger

Waller was the big off-season acquisition for the New York Giants. In recent NFL memory, the former Georgia Tech receiver has made one of the most successful transitions to the tight end position. His early career stint as a receiver in Baltimore was a forgetful affair fraught with injury and substance abuse setbacks. Those difficulties often cause people to forget just what type of athlete Waller was and is. 

As mentioned above, Waller has enjoyed the most successful conversion to the tight-end position I have ever seen. During his time with the Raiders, Waller became one of the NFL’s most dangerous receiving tight ends. His back-to-back 1,100-plus-yard seasons are among the most impressive tight-end season stats ever.