The New York Giants‘ outlook takes a look at Saquon Barkley’s fantasy football value in this offense, while the New Orleans Saints‘ preview discusses the value of Alvin Kamara.
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints
- Spread: Saints -6
- Total: 37.5
- Giants implied points: 15.8
- Saints implied points: 21.8
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr: In theory, the matchup looks good, but we said the same thing last week when discussing the value of Jordan Love, and that didn’t exactly go well. Carr has four straight finishes as QB19 or worse, and this is not the time to get cute. Let someone else stream Carr – you have your eyes set on bigger and better things.
Tommy DeVito: This guy’s recent run would be tough to believe if it wasn’t occurring in front of our eyes. From the touchdown celebration to the family and the agent, this is a fun story.
But fun isn’t fantasy. The Saints are the sixth-best pass defense on a per-attempt basis per the Week 15 Cheat Sheet, and there’s no reason to get this risky in any 1QB setting.
If you want to say that he’s viable in Superflex formats, I’ll give you that. He’s firmly above the tier of quarterback that I would consider benching for a skill position play, but let’s not go overboard on “Tommy Cutlets.”
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley: He almost cost them the game last week with a late fumble, but Barkley got handed the ball 20 times – his most since October. That level of usage makes him a must-start.
The floor is lower for Barkley than it is for most star backs, given the limitations of this offense and his all-or-nothing style of running, but you’re plugging him in and not thinking too much about it. This matchup is against a defense that allows the fourth-highest percentage of yards to be gained on the ground.
I am, however, looking elsewhere for DFS. Barkley has big-play potential, but I worry about the scoring equity at his price point.
Alvin Kamara: Jamaal Williams was handed the ball 11 times to Kamara’s 12 last week, and that opens the door for Kamara’s fantasy stock to dip. It’s still not enough to have me questioning his spot in fantasy lineups, though.
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Forget what happened last week (five targets for -11 yards), we know that Kamara is a force in this low-octane, Carr-passing game. Combine that with a matchup against the second-worst yards-per-carry run defense in the league, and we could be looking at a big week.
Jamaal Williams: As for Williams, there is some touchdown equity to chase if you’re truly desperate. We know he can cash in short carries, and with the Giants struggling to stop the run – not to mention New Orleans’ role as a sizable favorite – if there’s a spot for Williams to help you out, this is as good a spot as any.
Wide Receivers
Wan’Dale Robinson: It’s rarely exciting, but Robinson did account for over one-third of New York’s catches and targets last week in the upset win over the Packers.
You’re digging deep if you’re looking at this passing game for value, but sometimes things get ugly. If that’s the case for you, Robinson’s stable role is what I would be looking at.
Chris Olave: New Orleans’ top receiver saved you with a touchdown last week (four catches for 28 yards), making him a viable option in five straight games (TD or 110-plus yards in all five).
His floor is lower than it should be, due to how Carr operates, but that’s not enough to nudge him out of the must-start conversation. You can haggle all you want about his status as a top-12 receiver versus a top-20 guy, but at the end of the day, you likely don’t have three options better than him, so you’re locking him in.
Rashid Shaheed: I don’t love lower body injuries for speedsters, and Shaheed is no exception. That said, the Giants blitz at the third-highest rate in the league (37.5% of opponent dropbacks), so if Shaheed suits up, he becomes an interesting GPP punt play, given the upside that comes with most targets that he sees.
Tight Ends
Taysom Hill: The utility knife was able to practice all week long due to various hand/foot injuries and was ultimately unable to play against the Panthers last week (questionable tag entering the weekend). He has finished inside the top 10 at the position in five of his past seven games and would assume that spot in my weekly rankings if we get clarity on his health.
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Juwan Johnson turned two targets into just 10 yards in what was an opportunity to earn more looks moving forward. You can do better than gambling on a low-upside option like Johnson, regardless of Hill’s status.
Should You Start Taysom Hill or Hunter Henry?
The two touchdowns from Henry last week were encouraging, but his reliance on scores is concerning. The Patriots carry very little scoring equity this week, so I’m happy to go with Hill, assuming he clears all needed health obstacles.
In the Carr-led offense, Hill’s do-everything role is simply a cheat code at the tight end position. Hill is a unique option, while Henry is one of a dozen tight ends that need a score to matter.
Should You Start Chiefs D/ST or Saints D/ST?
Both of these defenses have the potential to make a major difference in fantasy matchups this week, but if forced to pick one, give me the Chiefs. We’ve seen them clear 10 fantasy points on five occasions this season, and if this offense can get on track even a little bit, this underwhelming Patriots offense will be forced into an aggressive approach.
Kansas City has nine games with at least three sacks this season, a trend I like to continue, and they pin their ears back in this spot.
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