2015 Fantasy Football: Potential Breakout Offense — New York Giants
The New York Giants are poised to have an explosive fantasy offense. It all starts with the quarterback Eli Manning. In 2014, Manning threw for 4,410 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those numbers should only improve this season. His weapons are nothing short of dynamic.
First and foremost, he will have a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. for 16-games this year. Last season in just 12 games, Beckham Jr. caught a ridiculous 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. With a year of experience, a full offseason with the team and clean bill of health, he has the potential to be the top or at least among the top wideouts in the league.
Opposite of him you have Rueben Randle, who hauled in a respectable 71 receptions for 938 yards and three TDs, and appears to be coming into his own entering his fourth season. There is no reason to believe he can’t build off his breakout season.
The x-factor that could really put the G-men over the top is the health of slot receiver Victor Cruz. He is coming off a catastrophic patellar tendon injury and may never be the same again. However, he is ahead of schedule and all news coming out of Giants’ camp has been positive. If he can perform in the slot, this offense could be horrifying for opposing defenses. Over the three previous seasons before 2014, Cruz had averaged 80.3 catches, 1,208.6 yards and 7.6 touchdowns-per-season while only missing two games. If he can get even close to that level, defensive coordinators beware.
At tight end, Larry Donnell had a very nice year in his second season. The Grambling State man caught a solid 63 receptions for 623 yards and six TDs. The Giants will hope that he takes that next step this season and is a bit more consistent. He is still a raw talent with upside. They also have freak-athlete Adrien Robinson waiting in the wings. It is important not to forget about him.
The biggest addition this offseason may be former Patriots’ running back Shane Vereen. Vereen is an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield and will be heavily utilized by Manning. He is a nice safety outlet and can really make an offense go. Vereen has the capabilities to have an impact similar to a Darren Sproles. Getting to 65-plus receptions is not out of the question for the PPR star.
Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings are a formidable duo running the ball. Jennings is very good and will start the season as the RB1. Unfortunately he has a long history of injury issues and may once again find himself on the injury report. Williams wasn’t great as rookie behind a poor offensive line, nevertheless, the former Heisman finalist has a ton of talent and can pound it between the tackles with the best of them. Both of these backs are fantasy sleepers.
There’s more good news for the Giants’ offense from a fantasy perspective. The offensive line has improved and the defense hasn’t improved significantly. That means the offense will continue to have to put up points to stay in and win games. And put up points they shall. Look for a monster year from the Giants’ offense. I’ll go as far to see that Eli’s offense will put up comparable numbers to his brother Peyton’s offense if not better.