New York Giants Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Giants WR Sterling Shepard is running routes in 7-on-7 work, according to insider Art Stapleton. It's good progress as Shepard works back from a torn left ACL suffered on September 26. He re-signed with the Giants in March on a 1-year deal worth just $1.3 million with $0 guaranteed. So Shepard isn't even a lock to make the final roster -- although Stapleton says, "I think the speculation on here about Shep not making the team is very premature. Would not count him out." We'll see, but Shepard isn't worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.

The Giants selected Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hyatt won the 2022 Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football, compiling 1,267 yards and 15 TDs on 67 receptions. That’s a huge 18.9 yards per catch. And this dude can fly. Hyatt clocked a 4.40-second 40 time at the Combine and plays even faster, routinely running by SEC CBs. He also possesses underrated ball skills and a large catch radius. Now, Tennessee’s up-tempo, spread offense regularly put Hyatt in favorable situations. He has a significant transition to make to an NFL-style offense. It’s also worth noting that Hyatt totaled just 502 receiving yards over his first 2 NFL seasons and is slenderly built at 6’0, 176 pounds. We like Hyatt’s chances of emerging as a legit big-play threat for the Giants. But he might lack the size, physicality, and route-running acumen to become the focal point of an NFL passing game. We'll see how the Giants plan to deploy him. The lackluster WR corps presents opportunity as soon as Hyatt's able to prove he's ready. Check out Hyatt's initial projection in our 2023 fantasy football WR rankings.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley has no immediate plans to sign his franchise tag, making him ineligible to participate in the team's offseason program beginning next week, Newsday's Kim Jones reports. The Giants, meanwhile, are not interested in signing Barkley to a long-term deal, according to Fox Sports' Ralph Vacchiano. "There’s no real crisis until training camp begins and from what I hear no camp holdout is expected — at least not yet," Vacchiano adds. This will certainly be a situation to monitor into the summer. But, for now, we're not adjusting our 2023 fantasy outlook for Barkley. He's most likely to play out the 1-year deal with the Giants before hitting free agency next offseason.

The Athletic’s Dan Duggan believes RB Saquan Barkley will sign a long-term deal by the July 17 deadline. (The 26-year-old was franchise tagged in March.) New York offered him a long-term deal in-season, but it was reportedly low on guarantees. We’ll track contract negotiations right up to the deadline. Right now, Barkley remains a clear-cut top-8 dynasty RB.

The Giants are signing WR Jamison Crowder to a 1-year deal, according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson. The G-Men continue to stockpile slot receivers, with Crowder joining Parris Campbell, Wan'Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard as options on the inside. We'll see about the details of Crowder's contract, but he's probably not even a lock to make the final roster. Turning 30 in June, Crowder caught 6 balls in 4 games for the Bills last year, missing the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

WR Darius Slayton re-signed with the Giants on a 2-year, $12 million deal. Slayton has been pretty consistent through 4 NFL seasons, finishing with 46-50 catches and 724-751 receiving yards in 3 of them. That, of course, isn't enough to really get the fantasy juices flowing. Slayton is still just 26 and a candidate to take a step forward in his 2nd season under HC Brian Daboll. But don't consider him more than a WR4 in early best-ball drafts. The Giants' WR corps now reads: Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan'Dale Robinson, Parris Campbell, Sterling Shepard.

The Giants are signing WR Parris Campbell, according to The Score's Jordan Schultz. Finally healthy last year, Campbell set career highs across the board with 63 catches, 623 yards and 3 TDs. That was still only good for a 64th-place finish among WRs in PPR points per game. Campbell finds plenty of opportunity in the Giants' WR corps -- but we'll see how he fits alongside WR Wan'Dale Robinson. Both of those guys do their best work from the slot. Robinson, of course, is rehabbing a November ACL tear.

Update: Campbell got a 1-year deal, $3 million deal that can be worth up to $6.7 million via incentives.

The Raiders have agreed to a trade sending TE Darren Waller to the Giants in exchange for a 2023 third round pick (100th overall). The pick Giants are sending was initially acquired via the midseason deal that sent WR Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs, thus marking the first fantasy-relevant contribution Toney has ever made for the team. The need to address pass-catchers around QB Daniel Jones stood atop the list of priorities for the Giants this offseason, and now Waller arguably becomes the best receiver on this team. Though hamstring injuries plagued Waller's 2022 campaign, we're not far removed from three-consecutive seasons of 90+ target and 12+ PPR PPG production from the former Pro Bowler. We'll see what the Giants do in the NFL Draft next month regarding the WR position, but as of now, we're looking at some fairly intriguing fantasy upside here from Waller.

The Giants have agreed to a four-year pact with LB Bobby Okereke. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that it's worth $40 million total, with $22 million of that guaranteed. It clearly positions Okereke as the lead LB for a team that has lacked such a guy since Blake Martinez tore an ACL early in 2021. Okereke spent the past two seasons starting for the Colts, racking up 283 total tackles. He has also defensed 17 passes across four seasons. Okereke sits among the top 15 LBs in our dynasty rankings. Don't be surprised if he lands inside the top 10 when our 2023 IDP rankings come out.

The Giants have agreed to a one-year deal with WR Sterling Shepard ahead of free agency. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston reports that Shepard will make just $1.317 million. That's not enough to guarantee any significant role on offense. Our guess is that Shepard (and his representation) didn't expect to find much of a market. So he elected to stick with the familiar team on a "prove it" deal. He's not more than an end-of-draft flyer for best ball formats at the moment -- and an unexciting option even there.

The Giants are applying the franchise tag to RB Saquon Barkley. It's not yet clear whether it's the exclusive version, which would keep Barkley from being able to negotiate with other teams. But the tag effectively keeps him with the Giants. It's unlikely another franchise would give two first-round picks for the right to sign Barkley. Expect the star RB to stick with the team that allowed him to finish fifth at the position in PPR points per game this past season.

The Giants have agreed to a four-year deal with QB Daniel Jones. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the contract will pay him $160 million, with another $35 million available in incentives. And it pays $82 million over the first two years. The agreement came just before the franchise-tag deadline, allowing the Giants to use the tag on RB Saquon Barkley. Now we'll see what the team can add at WR to help Jones' fantasy upside.

Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt weighed in at just 176 pounds (on his 6-foot frame) at the NFL Scouting Combine. His testing numbers looked good, though. He led all WRs with an 11'3 broad jump and ranked fourth with a 40-inch vertical. Altogether, Hyatt rated seventh among 44 WRs in Relative Athletic Score. The early draft entrant is coming off a huge receiving line: 67 catches, 1,267 yards, and 15 TDs. His 18.9 yards per catch match the 4.4-second speed he flashed at the Combine. His relatively late breakout -- as a nearly 21-year-old junior -- is a negative, however. We'll dig further into the likely early-round pick for his upcoming prospect profile. Hyatt's current WR49 ADP in Underdog fantasy best ball drafts makes him OK to mix in, though it's hard to imagine a huge spike after he finds his NFL team.

The Giants have signed WR Isaiah Hodgins, who was headed for exclusive-rights free agency. Terms weren't immediately announced, but we don't expect big numbers to be involved. The sheer fact that the team re-signed Hodgins before it needed to, however, signals he's part of the 2023 plan as opposed to just a depth player. Hodgins arrived from the Bills in the middle of the 2022 season and closed out the year as a full-timer. He played 80%+ snap share in each of his final five regular-season games -- as well as the playoff win at Minnesota. He also tied for the team lead in TD receptions (4) despite playing just eight regular-season games. Hodgins is an intriguing later-round pick in early 2023 best-ball drafts.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley recorded 9 carries for 61 yards and 2 catches for 21 yards in Saturday's Divisional Round loss vs. the Eagles. Though the Giants' season ended in a disappointing fashion, Barkley has a lot to be happy about entering free agency this offseason. The Pro Bowl back played in 16 games for the 1st time since his rookie season in 2018 and set a career-high in rushing yards (1,312) in 2022. The soon-to-be 26-year-old will be a dynamic fantasy asset regardless of what team he suits up for in 2023 and beyond. He said after Saturday's game that “everyone knows I want to be a Giant for life," taking away any potential mystery around his intentions. We'll see if his desire to return to New York comes to fruition in the coming weeks.

Giants QB Daniel Jones completed 15 of 27 attempts for 135 passing yards with 1 INT in Saturday's Divisional Round loss vs. the Eagles. He also added 24 yards on 9 carries in the ground game. The former 1st round pick is set to become a free agent this offseason after recording the most productive season as a pro. Jones set a career-high in passing yards (3,205) and rushing yards (708) in 2022. When asked about returning to the team, Jones said he'll "cross that bridge when we get there. I’ve really enjoyed playing here. I appreciate all those guys in the locker room. It’s a special group of guys. And I really enjoyed being a part of it," in post-game interviews. His future will be one of great intrigue this offseason.

Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion on Thursday and doesn't carry an official injury designation for Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Eagles. Despite being weighed down by his ankle injury last week vs. the Vikings, Hodgins led the Giants in receiving with an 8-105-1 stat line. The Eagles' defense ranks 10th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs and will be a much tougher draw. Still, Hodgins ranks 1st on the Giants in target share (26.5%) and air yards share (36.4%) over their last 4 games, including the Wild Card round. We feel good about his chances regardless of the matchup.

Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion again on Wednesday ahead of Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Eagles. Hodgins shared a photo on his Instagram story following the team's Wild Card win vs. the Vikings that shows how busted up his ankle is. We'll leave it up to you if you want to look it up and find the picture. The point is that it certainly doesn't look great, though he did manage to play through it this past Sunday. Check back tomorrow for updates regarding the young wideout's status.

Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity on Tuesday in advance of Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Eagles. The second-year wideout has been a significant contributor to the Giants' offense for several weeks now, so a potential absence from him would leave quite a void. We'll keep tabs on his health as news unfolds in the coming days.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Giants held long-term contract talks with RB Saquon Barkley during the season. Per Rapoport, the team wants Barkley and Daniel Jones to return for 2023. (No surprise there.) The franchise tag remains likely to be used on 1 of those guys. Per Spotrac, New York currently has the 3rd most cap-space league-wide (~54$ million).