Jason Pierre-Paul Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Buccaneers EDGE Jason Pierre-Paul got a 2nd opinion on his injured shoulder and was told to rest it, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Although the Bucs haven't officially ruled JPP out for Week 3 yet, Rapoport adds that the veteran is "likely" to be inactive Sunday against the Rams. We'll certainly track the situation through the weekend, but make sure you plan accordingly for your IDP lineup. Anthony Nelson and rookie Joe Tryon-Shoyinka figure to each gain playing time if Pierre-Paul is out, but neither makes for a sturdy fantasy football option this week.

The Buccaneers on Thursday traded a 3rd-round pick -- plus a swap of late-rounders -- to the Giants for DE Jason Pierre-Paul. The 29-year-old carries a large contract and didn't fit as well in the Giants' new 3-4 base defense. JPP remained a productive pass-rusher last year, though Pro Football Focus graded him lower than former Bucs DE Robert Ayers both overall and in the pass rush. Tampa, of course, recently released Ayers. Pierre-Paul will likely start opposite Vinny Curry, with DE William Gholston still in the mix. The Bucs defense certainly looks more intriguing now, while JPP remains a top-12 D-lineman for IDP drafting.

The New York Daily News reports that Giants HC Tom Coughlin was "encouraged" by the Thursday workout of DE Jason Pierre-Paul.  “He’s sore today, probably because he hasn’t been running,” Coughlin said Friday.  “He’s not ready to come out two days in a row and do what he did (Thursday), but I’m encouraged by what he did.”  JPP has been out of action since June back surgery.  It remains to be seen whether he'll be ready for the season opener.  But if his stodgy old coach admits he's impressed, then we're optimistic.

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul had back surgery Tuesday morning to deal with a lingering injury.  ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that JPP played through the injury in 2012 and had multiple epidurals during the season.  Pierre-Paul said they decided to go for the surgery when the pain didn't go away this offseason.  He's expected to be ready for the season, but it's not clear how much prep time JPP will have.  That's particularly concerning when you consider that HC Tom Coughlin accused the player of arriving at camp out of shape last summer.  (Pierre-Paul refuted that.)  His back issues also date back to college.  New York's starting right DE dropped to just 6.5 sacks last season after busting out for 16.5 in 2011.  Expect JPP to drop down our preseason rankings a bit on this news.  We'll be watching throughout camp to reassess his fantasy football value as an IDP.