At PFN, we’ve researched more than 350 fantasy football players, trying to identify which ones are overrated, underrated, and priced right. With that in mind, here is New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt’s fantasy outlook for 2023.
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Jalin Hyatt’s 2023 Fantasy Outlook
It’s a mundane truism to say that timing is everything in the NFL Draft. But the Giants’ selection of Hyatt this year can be traced back to their selection of Kadarius Toney two years earlier.
New York snagged Toney with the No. 20 overall pick in 2021 — the fourth WR off the board. Who were the first three? Ja’Marr Chase (No. 5), Jaylen Waddle (No. 6), and DeVonta Smith (No. 10). The Giants reportedly were interested in Smith and were slotted at the No. 11 spot. But after Smith came off the board, they traded down with the Bears, who promptly took Justin Fields.
Timing is everything.
Because if Smith had become a Giant, they might not have needed Hyatt two years later. Instead, after last year’s semi-debacle with their receiving corps, they desperately needed Hyatt — or at least, someone with his ceiling, not unlike the long-gone Toney.
They were so desperate that, with nine wideouts off the board, they traded up to the No. 73 spot to get him.
No doubt, Hyatt checks a lot of boxes. His speed and eye for the end zone could be a difference-maker for a franchise dreaming of a Super Bowl run. He gives this team a unique downfield threat that could open up the running game even more — not bad with Saquon Barkley in the backfield.
Still, there are some fantasy-related yellow flags, some of which are tied to volume. Barkley and Daniel Jones ran the ball a combined 415 times last season. Add Barkley’s 76 targets, and that’s 491 plays they alone executed, accounting for about 49% of the team’s plays.
This could remain a relatively conservative offense that wins through a heavy dose of running, situational passing, and timely defense — not unlike last season. The fact that the Giants made only tepid changes to their wideout corps this offseason (compared to many other borderline playoff contenders) speaks volumes about their offensive game plan.
Kenny Golladay is gone, though presumably, no one on this team will notice. Breakout journeyman Richie James followed Toney to the Chiefs. New York effectively replaced them with Hyatt and Parris Campbell — a talented and often-injured receiver who could just as easily become the No. 1 WR on this squad as the No. 4.
Meanwhile, they still have Sterling Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson (both of whom missed most of last season), as well as Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins. Hyatt is merely a piece of the puzzle — one of five wideouts with a decent shot at 60+ catches and 700+ yards. Rarely has a franchise entered Week 1 with five WRs possessing such comparable floors and ceilings.
And, of course, at tight end, this team made a boom/bust decision to trade for Darren Waller, who’s one of the best playmaking TEs when healthy (“when healthy” is the key).
At his healthiest, Waller might lead this passing attack. If he does, then there’s almost no chance for Hyatt to crack the top 50 WRs. And even a “good” Waller could make Hyatt mostly irrelevant in one of the league’s least pass-friendly schemes.
In the end, Hyatt is a flashy rookie with occasional pop. If he winds up being among the top four in targets, then he will have been draftable in deep leagues. But with Barkley and Waller entrenched as high-target options, that would require Hyatt to become a near-instant top-two WR. There are simply too many mouths to feed to make him anything more than a deep-league dart throw.