Odell Beckham Jr. could be in line for a monster season
Odell Beckham Jr. is a superstar, we all know this. He’s achieved fantasy and overall football stardom after blasting onto the scene as a 2014 rookie throwing down 1,305 yards and hauling in 12 touchdowns on 91 catches in only a dozen games. He followed it up with a scintillating sophomore campaign grabbing 96 balls for over 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games. Beckham’s ascended as a premiere force in fantasy football and now a top-three lock in standard and PPR drafts across the country. “OBJ” is dominant, consistent, and fun to watch. Plus, he’ll get to square off against foe CB Josh Norman twice a year now that Norman’s found a new home on the Washington Redskins.
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Beckham’s always had a flare for the dramatic showcasing hands that seem to latch onto everything thrown in their vicinity. And, when he made what some call The Best Catch Ever against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football in 2014, his status as a premiere playmaker was firmly cemented. Now, he’s considered by many as the No. 2 overall pick behind Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Beckham is still only 23 years old and has no proven stars on the entire offense that will steal away targets or overall attention. The Giants drafted rookie wide receiver Sterling Shepard in the second round this year, and he is the heavy favorite for No. 2 duties manning the slot while Beckham takes charge on the outside. Beckham said in training camp that Shepard “is going to be a special player.” As true as that statement may be, the learning curve from the collegiate level into the professional ranks is considerably large. Besides Beckham and Shephard, the Giants have Victor Cruz, still rehabbing from his 2014 patella tendon tear, and journeyman Dwayne Harris.
When you look at the other offensive skill positions on the Giants, Beckham stands superior – and by a wide margin. At tight end, they start fourth-year Grambling State product Larry Donnell, who came down to earth last season after snagging a six-pack of touchdowns to go with 63 receptions and 623 yards in 2014. If Donnell proves himself a viable red-zone and overall fantasy product again, then he could potentially steal targets and touchdowns from the star wide receiver. But, until I see his 2014 year replicated, I’ll maintain a skeptical eye.
At running back, New York will boast a platoon between veteran and presumed starter, the 31-year-old Rashad Jennings, largely average at best third-year Boston College alum Andre Williams, and 2016 rookie Paul Perkins. While Jennings runs young for a 30-plus running back due to his light usage in Oakland and earlier in his career, the running back position is less than inspiring and unproven unless Perkins becomes the feature back and takes charge of the Giants’ backfield.
As you can tell after only a few seconds of glancing at the Giants’ depth chart, our man Beckham still remains the preeminent weapon, driving force, and complete centerpiece of this offense. He propels this entire unit to new heights and is its essential fuel for production. He will garner well over 150 targets and total in the range of 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns if he can stay healthy (and not get suspended for popping Josh Norman in the face). If you’re sitting with the No. 2 pick and Brown is taken atop the draft, waste little time selecting Beckham. In five months, and comfortably in the fantasy playoffs, you’ll be quite pleased with the decision.
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Derek Guilford is a correspondent at FantasyPros. You can read more from Derek by checking out his archive or follow him @derekguilford.
