2021 Fantasy Preview – New York Giants

Studs

• Saquon Barkley: Barkley was the RB1 his rookie year, showing exactly what kind of potential he really possesses. Following that performance, he missed parts of the 2019 season but was still able to finish as a top 10 RB in PPR scoring. He appears to be recovering well this offseason, and with an improved offense on paper, Barkley should be primed to be a top-end RB1 season again.

Role Players

• Kenny Golladay: In his second year in the league, he put up a 1,000-yard season and a top 20 WR finish. Following that season he really broke out with his second 1,000-yard receiving season and his first WR1 fantasy season. He looks to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2020 with a new home in New York. He is clearly the top option on paper for the Giants and should be peppered with targets all season long. If he can put together a healthy season and return to his WR1 performances, he should make a case to be on the studs list this time next year. 
• Daniel Jones: Daniel Jones hasn’t been great thus far in his career, really struggling with turnovers (whether from interceptions or fumbles). The organization seems to believe in him and has surrounded him with weapons, providing no excuse for Jones not to clean up his turnover issue and improve his efficiency. While he may not be the best NFL quarterback, his rushing upside keeps him as a solid option in fantasy as a second QB in SuperFlex or a bye week fill-in in 1QB leagues.

Keep an eye on

• Evan Engram: Engram showed top-tier TE potential in his rookie year, but has since struggled to produce the same numbers either due to injury or just poor play. He needs to work hard this offseason on his drops and inefficiencies, otherwise, he will be with a new team after his contract is up following the 2021 season. The Giants already have brought in Kyle Rudolph, a sure-handed TE, to potentially take some work away from Engram. It’ll be hard to trust the TE until he shows it again.
• Sterling Shepard: Shepard has shown the ability to be a solid WR3 for a team and thrive in that role. The only issue is that he has consistently struggled to stay healthy during his NFL career, making it hard to rely on him as a reliable piece to a fantasy team. 
• Darius Slayton: Slayton has shown flashes of being a really good receiver and potentially the WR1 for the New York Giants team. When he gets the playing time and targets, he produces. But with the addition of Golladay, it really caps Slayton’s upside as he is now vying for the WR2 position at best. If he can secure that position in targets over first-round pick Toney, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram, he could be very fantasy relevant. 
• John Ross: Ross is known for his blazing 40-time at the combine and has been dynamic when he is on the field. The problem has been staying on the field, and that’s why Cincinnati let him go at the end of the 2020 season. If he is able to string together a healthy season, he could provide a nice speed threat for the Giants and be a solid depth piece to fantasy teams. A player to monitor during the season. 
• Kyle Rudolph: Evan Engram’s struggles both on the field and staying healthy were mentioned previously here. If those do end up coming to fruition, Rudolph could be a serviceable bye-week fill-in TE for somebody’s fantasy team. He hasn’t been overly fantasy-relevant in the past two years, but he provides a sure-handed target for Daniel Jones and has still managed to provide some usable fantasy weeks. 

Dynasty Stashes

• Kadarius Toney: The fantasy community has been really hard on Toney, and generally those concerns expressed have been valid. Regardless, he got solid draft capital and that has to make fantasy managers at least pay attention. He’ll have to fight his way up the depth chart that is fairly deep of “just guys” behind Golladay. He should contribute immediately on special teams and provide the offense another utility player, but that doesn’t always help out fantasy managers. He’s worth a stash to see how this WR core looks following 2021 with some receivers coming up on an out in their contract or coming up on the end of their contract.