Daniel Jones didn't quite take the step forward the Giants were hoping for in 2020, but they're going to give him at least one more shot, this time with new weapons Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney -- and the return of Saquon Barkley. Jones has shown flashes, but if he isn't more consistent, this could be his last chance.
2020 Review
Record: 6 - 10 (21)
PPG: 17.5 (31)
YPG: 299.6 (31)
Pass YPG: 189.1 (29)
Rush YPG: 110.5 (19)
PAPG: 32.3 (26)
RAPG: 24.9 (26)
2020 Fantasy finishes
QB: Daniel Jones QB24
RB: Wayne Gallman* RB33
WR: Sterling Shepard WR34, Darius Slayton WR74
TE: Evan Engram TE14
*No longer with team
Number to know: 1.9
That's how many fumbles-plus-interceptions Daniel Jones has averaged in his career. Despite not playing a full season in either campaign, Jones led the NFL in fumbles in both of his first two seasons -- fumbling on a whopping 15% of his rush attempts or sacks. That's just a dreadful number, and he also had just one more touchdown than interception in 2020. If Jones didn't regress across the board last season, he certainly didn't improve much. He's got more weapons now, but if he can't fix the mental mistakes that have cost him so dearly to this point, it's not going to matter. He's playing for his NFL future at this point.
2021 Offseason
Draft Picks
1. (20) Kadarius Toney, WR
2. (50) Azeez Ojulari, OLB
3. (71) Aaron Robinson, CB
4. (116) Elerson Smith, OLB
6. (196) Gary Brightwell, RB
6. (201) Rodarius Williams, CB
Additions
WR Kenny Golladay, CB Adoree' Jackson, TE Kyle Rudolph, RB Devontae Booker, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo, WR John Ross,
Key Departures
G Kevin Zeitler, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, T Cameron Fleming
Available Opportunity
285 carries, 71 RB targets, 37 WR targets, 0 TE targets
Team Previews: Dolphins | Rams | Chargers | Raiders | Chiefs | Colts | Packers | Patriots | Vikings
2021 Preview
| Award |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jones | 25 | 27 | 24 | 16 |
| Saquon Barkley | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Kenny Golladay | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 |
| Sterling Shepard | NR | NR | 60 | NR |
| Evan Engram | 21 | 20 | 25 | 23 |
Chris Towers' projections
| QB | Daniel Jones | PA: 564, YD: 4093, TD: 28, INT: 15; RUSH -- ATT: 65, YD: 355, TD: 3 |
| RB | Saquon Barkley | CAR: 267, YD: 1226, TD: 10; TAR: 79, REC: 58, YD: 462, TD: 3 |
| RB | Devontae Booker | CAR: 73, YD: 292, TD: 2; TAR: 17, REC: 12, YD: 75, TD: 0 |
| WR | Kenny Golladay | TAR: 117, REC: 68, YD: 1037, TD: 7 |
| WR | Sterling Shepard | TAR: 80, REC: 53, YD: 573, TD: 4 |
| WR | Kadarius Toney | TAR: 74, REC: 48, YD: 532, TD: 4 |
| TE | Evan Engram | TAR: 79, REC: 48, YD: 522, TD: 4 |
Biggest Question
Will Saquon Barkley bounce back to form?
We're still chasing Barkley's rookie season. In Year 2, an ankle injury limited his effectiveness for much of the season, and then he tore his ACL midway through Week 2 in 2020, ending his season essentially before it really began. If Barkley is back to his old self and the Giants are still featuring him heavily in the passing game, he has as much upside as anyone in the game, including Christian McCaffrey. I'm willing to take him as early as No. 2 overall.
One sleeper, one breakout and one bust
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Given that Engram was a fringe Fantasy option in 2020 despite 109 targets, it makes sense that people are fading him now that the Giants have a lot more talent in the passing game. But I'm not sure you need to be scared off him. I'm not saying Engram should be drafted as a starting tight end, but he's clearly talented -- talented enough to earn all those targets -- and his biggest issue last season was drops, something that hadn't really plagued him before. It's entirely possible his poor showing in 2020 will simply cost him his role -- the addition of Kyle Rudolph certainly doesn't help in that regard -- but this is an opportunity to buy low on a talented player who has been a productive Fantasy option before. If you want a late-round dart throw at TE, he's a decent one.
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To be clear, I don't expect Jones to break out. I was skeptical of him as a prospect, and basically nothing he's done since getting to the league has changed my opinion. Still, he's clearly talented, and has had some really big games in his career -- and is a legitimate rushing threat, to boot. We saw Josh Allen take a huge step forward in 2020 with the addition of Stefon Diggs, and maybe Golladay can have a similar effect on Jones. He's not the same kind of all-around receiver Diggs is, but he's also a clear upgrade on everyone the Giants have had for Jones to throw to. And maybe Kadarius Toney becomes a real weapon, taking short throws for big gains with consistency. Oh, and he's got one of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL back in the backfield with him. There's plenty of talent around Jones, and if he's going to become a reliable Fantasy option, this is his best chance.
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Of course, if I'm skeptical of Jones, I have to view Golladay as something of a risk. He missed all but five games last season with an injury, but more importantly, he's switching teams and getting a downgrade at quarterback going from Matthew Stafford to Jones. That wasn't an issue in 2019, when he scored 11 touchdowns despite Stafford missing half the season. But Golladay is an inherently volatile type of receiver given his downfield role, and if he and the QB aren't on the same page, he could be frustratingly inconsistent. Golladay probably won't ever be a 90-catch guy, so he has to hit those big plays and touchdowns to be a reliable starter. That's a risk, given the circumstances.
So which sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade? And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-five performance? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Josh Allen's huge season, and find out.
