87 Sterling Shepard WR

Shepard (wrist) was dominant at June minicamp, NJ.com's Matt Lombardo reports.

Signed to a four-year, $41 million extension this offseason, Shepard is preparing to take more snaps outside in an effort to accommodate Golden Tate. The 25-year-old receiver reportedly looked quite comfortable at minicamp, repeatedly connecting with Eli Manning on downfield passes. Shepard appears to have moved past the minor wrist injury that held him out of a practice at the beginning of the month.

Coach Pat Shurmur said Shepard missed Wednesday's practice due to a minor wrist injury, Tom Rock of Newsday reports.

It's possible Shepard's absence could be precautionary, but his situation will nonetheless be worth monitoring in advance of training camp. Fresh off signing a lucrative four-year extension with the Giants in April, Shepard is primed for a significant role on offense alongside fellow pass catchers Golden Tate, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley.

Shepard agreed in principle Wednesday with the Giants on a four-year, $41 million extension, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Shepard, who was set to become a free agent next offseason, gets a deal that surpasses that of new teammate Golden Tate, who received a four-year, $37.5 million contract from the Giants last month. The extension immediately quiets any speculation that Tate's addition has put Shepard on the trade block and suggests the latter is a big part of what the Giants want to do offensively moving forward. With Tate specializing in the slot, Shepard seems poised for more work on the outside than he has seen in the past. In addition to Tate, Shepard will have to contend for targets with Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram.

Shepard likely will play most of his snaps outside in 2019, Scott Thompson of SportsNet New York reports.

The Giants replaced Odell Beckham with 30-year-old Golden Tate, who primarily works inside and excels after the catch. Shepard is approximately the same size as Tate and also has spent most of his career in the slot, but the 25-year-old appears to be a better fit outside thanks to his superior straight-line speed and leaping ability. While the Giants shouldn't have much trouble creating slot snaps for both players, it makes sense to have Shepard outside in the base alignment. Even with Beckham out of the picture, there's no guarantee Shepard sees an uptick from last year's mark of 6.7 targets per game, as the Giants' offseason moves point to an increased emphasis on the rushing attack. There's also plenty of competition for Eli Manning's attention, with Shepard, Tate, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley all viable candidates to lead the team in targets.

Shepard is primed for a larger role within the Giants offense after the team traded Odell Beckham (quad) to the Browns on Tuesday, Matt Lombardo of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Primarily a slot receiver through his first three seasons, Shepard averaged 63.3 catches for 762 yards and 4.7 touchdowns on 98.7 targets over 14.3 games. There was a clear pattern of extra volume whenever Beckham missed time with an injury, but Shepard wasn't consistent in taking advantage of those opportunities. The 25-year-old has sufficient athleticism to handle more snaps outside, and there's a good chance he enters 2019 as New York's No. 1 option at wideout. Of course, the team still has plenty of time to add more weapons during the offseason, and it's a safe bet Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram account for a large chunk of the overall target volume.

Shepard finished the season with 66 catches for 872 yards and four touchdowns on 107 targets.

Shepard was slightly disappointing given Odell Beckham's (quadriceps) late-season absence and Evan Engram missing time with a knee injury during the middle of the year, but the Eli Manning factor mitigates that. A solid route runner with average size and speed, Shepard should reprise his usual role as the No. 2 wideout behind Beckham in 2019. Better play under center could raise Shepard's fantasy ceiling.

Shepard (hip) practiced in full Thursday.

The Giants scaled back Shepard's practice reps Wednesday due to a hip issue, but the third-year pro returned to full capacity one day later. Fellow member of the receiving corps Odell Beckham (quadriceps) is trending toward a fourth consecutive absence, leaving Shepard to act as the No. 1 wideout yet again Sunday against the Cowboys. In his first three opportunities, Shepard posted a 10-167-1 line on 22 targets, with most of that production coming Week 16 at Indianapolis (six catches on seven targets for 113 yards).

Shepard was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a hip issue.

Shepard didn't show any sign of injury during Sunday's 28-27 loss to Indianapolis, catching six of seven passes for 113 yards while handling an 89 percent snap share. He may be looking at another week as the Giants' No. 1 wide receiver, as Odell Beckham (quadriceps) didn't take part in Wednesday's session. The Week 17 matchup looks tough on paper, but it won't all that difficult if the Cowboys rest some of their key players for at least a portion of the game.

Shepard caught six of seven passes for 113 yards and lost three yards on a carry during Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Colts.

With the game tied at seven late in the first quarter, Eli Manning uncorked a 55-yard bomb to Shepard, setting up a Scott Simonson touchdown. With Odell Beckham Jr. (quad) inactive, Shepard snapped a seven-game streak in which he was held under 40 total yards. If New York sits Beckham again, Shepard will get another opportunity to be the No. 1 target against a Dallas defense that held Shepard to 24 yards in Week 2 but likely will be resting plenty of defensive starters for at least a big part of the contest.

Shepard is expected to serve as the Giants' No. 1 receiver in Sunday's game against the Colts with Odell Beckham (quadriceps) sidelined for the third straight week, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

During the prior two games Beckham missed, Shepard noticed a spike in volume (15 targets) but was wildly inefficient, notching four receptions for 54 yards and a score. While the Colts lack a standout cornerback, they rank near the middle of the pack in terms of yards per attempt allowed (7.4, 14th in NFL), so the matchup isn't a fantastic one for Shepard. Due to the lack of established depth behind him, Shepard should at least rank as no worse than the No. 3 option in the Giants' passing attack, as running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Evan Engram will continue to see heightened involvement with Beckham out.

Shepard caught two of nine targets, collecting 37 receiving yards during Sunday's 17-0 loss to Tennessee.

Shepard has struggled mightily with efficiency over the past two weeks, hauling in just four of his 15 targets with Odell Beckham Jr. (quadriceps) out of the lineup, compared to a catch rate of 68.4 percent through Week 13. The absence of OBJ has helped bolster Shepard's involvement in the passing game somewhat -- 7.5 targets per game over the past two weeks, 6.3 season average prior -- but that uptick in volume has failed to cultivate fantasy production, as he's gone for single digits in PPR scoring in both of those outings. The third-year wideout has been anything but explosive of late, failing to exceed 37 receiving yards in seven straight games after five times exceeding 45 yards through his first seven outings of the year. In Week 16, he and the Giants receiving corps will face off against a Colts defense that refused to allow a single Cowboys pass catcher to eclipse 45 receiving yards in its last time out.

Shepard will serve as the Giants' No. 1 wide receiver Sunday against the Titans in the absence of Odell Beckham (quadriceps), Michael Eisen of the team's official site reports.

After Beckham was ruled out Week 14 at Washington, Shepard led Giants wideouts with 43 (of 64) offensive snaps, which was followed by Corey Coleman's 42, Russell Shepard's 26, Benny Fowler's 26 and Jawill Davis' 26. While Shepard hauled in just two of six targets for 17 yards, one of his three looks in the red zone resulted in a touchdown. He'll attempt to do more Sunday against a Tennessee defense that has given up the sixth-most TDs (17) to wide receivers this season.

Shepard caught two of six targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 40-16 win over the Redskins.

Shepard led his team in targets with Odell Beckham sidelined by a quadriceps injury, but three other Giants finished with more receiving yards. Beckham will likely return against the Titans in Week 15, bumping Shepard back down to the No. 2 wide receiver role in New York.

Shepard figures to see more targets after Odell Beckham (quadriceps) was surprisingly ruled out ahead of Sunday's contest against the Redskins.

It's been an inconsistent third season for Shepard to date, but the 24-year-old is poised for a major opportunity with the news that Beckham would not be available Sunday. Against a Redskins defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position, Shepard figures to easily exceed 17.5 percent of the team targets -- his current average this season -- and should present a lucrative fantasy option for season-long and daily players alike.

Shepard (ribs) was a full practice participant Thursday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Shepard missed a portion of the Giants' Week 13 win against the Bears to tend to a rib injury. After undergoing X-rays and a CT scan on the region, he told Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record on Monday that he would have to manage discomfort in his ribs, which explains his limitations in practice Wednesday. With a return in full Thursday, Shepard appears poised to handle his normal workload Sunday at Washington, which has equated to 92.3 percent of the snaps on offense this season (or a shade behind Odell Beckham's 93.8 percent). In Shepard's previous matchup with the Redskins in Week 8, he totaled four catches (on eight targets) for 34 yards.

Shepard (ribs) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

The ability to practice in any capacity at the beginning of the week suggests Shepard has a good chance to play Sunday at Washington. He fought through the rib injury during last weekend's win over the Bears, returning to the game after an X-ray didn't reveal any fractures. Shepard has failed to reach 40 yards in five consecutive games, which included a four-catch, 34-yard showing on eight targets against Washington in Week 8.

Shepard (ribs) received good news from X-rays and a CT scan, but he did say Monday that he's dealing with some pain, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Shepard was taken out of Sunday's 30-27 win over Chicago in the second quarter, but he rejoined the contest after halftime and finished with four catches for 28 yards on six targets. The injury might explain why the sure-handed wide receiver was unable to come down with a diving catch attempt in the end zone during the overtime period. Whatever the case, Shepard has now fallen shy of 40 yards in five consecutive games since his 167-yard explosion against the Falcons in Week 7. He'll be a tough man to trust for Week 14 at Washington, even if the rib injury dissipates before Sunday.

Shepard brought in four of six targets for 28 yards in the Giants' 30-27 overtime win over the Bears on Sunday.

Shepard's receiving yardage total was once again a disappointment, although he was hardly alone among his fellow pass catchers in failing to generate solid numbers Sunday against the tough Bears defense. The second-year wideout has failed to top 40 yards in five straight games, even as he's logged at least six targets in three of those contests. Shepard's underwhelming day was especially disappointing in the light of the fact the Giants were without Evan Engram (hamstring), but he'll look to bounce back versus the Redskins in a Week 14 divisional clash.

Shepard (ribs) returned to Sunday's game versus the Bears, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Shepard was seen favoring his side and lower back following a hit near the end of the first half. While he was deemed questionable to return due to a rib injury, he's back in search of his first catch of the contest.

Shepard is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Bears due to a rib injury, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports.

According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Shepard was seen favoring his side and lower back after Bears linebacker Roquan Smith landed on the wide receiver on his only target of the game prior to departing. If Shepard is unable to reenter the contest, the Giants will rely on Odell Beckham, Bennie Fowler and Russell Shepard at wide receiver.