Fantasy Football Rankings: Giants Players You Should Draft, Avoid This Season

Editor?s note: To help you prepare for your fantasy football draft, NESN.com will profile each NFL team and analyze which players are worth picking and which players aren?t worth your time. Today, we look at the Giants. 

The New York Giants struggled record-wise in 2015, but their passing offense made them a sneaky-good fantasy team. And you should expect more of the same in 2016.

Odell Beckham Jr. is a first-round lock in virtually any fantasy draft, and his quarterback, Eli Manning, has done nothing but put up huge numbers since head coach (and former offensive coordinator) Ben McAdoo came to town.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the players you should draft, potential sleepers and the ones you should avoid.

DRAFT-WORTHY
Odell Beckham Jr., Wide Receiver: Beckham Jr. is a first-round lock, and he might go as high as No. 1 in some leagues. He was in the top five in the league in both touchdown receptions and receiving yards in 2015.

Eli Manning, Quarterback: Statistically, Manning was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL last season. Ever since McAdoo, who now is the Giants head coach, came to New York, Manning has seen an uptick in touchdowns and a needed drop in interceptions.  Your fellow fantasy owners might not realize just how good he’s been, allowing him to drop in the QB sweet spot (rounds 3-6).

AVOID
Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver: Cruz finally appears to be healthy but where he fits into the Giants’ receiving pecking order is a big question. Beckham Jr. is the clear No. 1 receiver, and rookie Sterling Shepard (more on him later) likely will be Manning’s No. 2 option. Cruz might be worth a flyer in one of the later rounds, but definitely not before that.

SLEEPER
Sterling Shepard, Wide Receiver: Sensing a theme with the passing game? Well, that’s no coincidence with how the Giants built their offense. The latest beneficiary might be Shepard, who is expected to go from a 2015 second-round draft pick to New York’s No. 2 receiver. It’s tough to gauge where his fantasy draft stock, but expect him to be available in the middle rounds.

Thumbnail photo via Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports Images