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| Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TDs | Fantasy Pts |
| 5 | 59 | 0.3 | 7.7 |
| Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TDs | Fantasy Pts |
| 4.5 | 55 | 0.3 | 7.5 |
Preseason Player AnalysisWhat You Need to Know:
Draft Sharks Bottom Line:
We might not know exactly where Shepard will line up and how often until the regular season starts. The readiness of rookie Kadarius Toney figures to play a key role, as Toney looks like a prime candidate for slot work. But the Giants clearly like Shepard in a variety of spots. His playing time and usage remained up with the coaching change. Kenny Golladay’s arrival, however, means Shepard will probably need a teammate injury if he’s to snag the team target-share lead again. Shepard’s a fine PPR stash. But when you combine the new target challengers with a Giants offense that likely doesn’t want to pass at high volume, it’s tough to get excited about Shepard’s ceiling.
Shepard having strong camp
Giants WR Sterling Shepard is having an impressive camp and has been QB Daniel Jones' favorite target, according to insider Matt Lombardo. And that was reportedly the case even before WR Kenny Golladay went down with his hamstring injury. "The expectation entering this season was that free agent newcomer Kenny Golladay would vault to the top of Jones’ target hierarchy, and even before the high-priced addition suffered a hamstring injury last week, that just didn’t happen," Lombardo writes. "Meanwhile, Shepard has consistently been making plays, and consistently been among Jones’ first reads, perhaps a harbinger for the kind of season ahead for the longest-tenured Giant." Shepard is never an exciting fantasy pick but has finished as a top 34 WR in PPR points per game in 3 of 5 seasons -- and never finished lower than 45th. He's a strong bet to beat his current WR64 ADP.
Shepard going back to the slot
Sterling Shepard is expected to be the Giants' primary slot receiver this season, according to The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy. “I love the slot,” Shepard said from training camp on Tuesday. “It’s where I’m super comfortable. I just like the space that you have. I’m able to go all the way across the field, come back out, do the short-intermediate routes, which I enjoy running.” Shepard played 82% of his snaps in the slot as a rookie back in 2016. That rate has steadily declined over the past 4 seasons, bottoming out at 34% last year. Shepard's most efficient seasons in terms of yards per target came in 2017 and 2018, when he played 74% and then 55% of his snaps in the slot. Consider more slot snaps good news for Shepard's 2021 outlook. But we'll have to see if he stays on the field and kicks outside when the Giants go to 2-WR sets. This news also means New York's 3-WR sets figure to feature Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton on the outside. Rookie Kadarius Toney is expected to play mostly in the slot, so it looks like he's is line to open the season no better than 4th on the depth chart.
Shepard active
Giants WR Sterling Shepard (toe) is active for tonight's game against the Eagles. It'll be his 1st action since Week 2. Shepard is a low-upside fantasy play in New York's struggling offense.
Shepard "unlikely" for Week 6
The Newark Star-Ledger's Zack Rosenblatt believes Giants WR Sterling Shepard (toe) is "unlikely" to play against Washington on Sunday. He's eligible to come off IR this week, but a Week 7 return looks more likely. Darius Slayton, Golden Tate and Evan Engram will continue to operate as the top 3 options in the Giants' passing game.
Shepard expected to practice this week
The Giants expect WR Sterling Shepard to return to practice this week, according to the team's official website. Shepard missed the past 3 games with a toe injury. HC Joe Judge said he wants to see Shepard practice before determining whether the wideout will be ready to come off IR for Sunday's game against Washington. We'll watch his progress. Even if Shepard doesn't play in Week 6, he's worth a look as a potential Week 6 waiver pickup in leagues that saw him dropped.
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