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Kadarius Toney: New WR1 in New York? (2021 Fantasy Football)

Kadarius Toney: New WR1 in New York? (2021 Fantasy Football)

Whether your fantasy team is saddled with injuries, you’re in a deep league, or you’re simply a fortune teller, if you started Kadarius Toney last week, you were equally elated as you were shocked.

Toney put up 189 yards on 10 catches and didn’t even play a full game. He was ejected after throwing a punch in the fourth quarter.

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Player Profile

The Giants selected Toney with the 20th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Physically, he’s got impressive specs. Toney ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and recorded a 40-inch vertical leap. He measured just shy of six feet tall and plays bigger than his size. 

Toney reminded me a bit of Deebo Samuel on Sunday. They’re both incredibly capable of making something out of nothing, making defenders miss, and asserting dominance after they catch the football. So far this season, Toney is stepping up under pressure. Over the last two weeks, he’s totaled 16 catches for 267 yards on 22 targets. He’s also carried the ball twice for eight yards. 

The State of The Offense

Toney’s selection in the NFL draft came as a surprise to some, admittedly me included. It just didn’t make sense on paper. The Giants had young receivers, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard. They paid Kenny Golladay handsomely to be their WR1, Saquon Barkley is an elite pass-catching running back, and Evan Engram is … there. It just didn’t add up … until week five of the 2021 regular season.

Golladay, Shepard, Barkley, and Slayton are all injured, and Toney is coming off an incredible performance. The extent of the aforementioned injuries are all relatively uncertain, but if even two of those players miss another couple of weeks, let alone all four, Toney will see his fair share of targets.  

Additionally, Giants starting QB Daniel Jones entered the league’s concussion protocol, and so far, there is no tangible update.

Jones’ backup Mike Glennon threw 25 passes, eight of which were intended for Toney. Keep in mind, Glennon threw 12 passes after Toney was ejected.

For those of you keeping score at home, that’s 62% percent of Glennon’s passes (when Toney was on the field) heading his way. 

Toney’s Outlook

Toney is shaping up to be the Giants’ clear-cut WR1. That title, however, won’t be nearly as lucrative with Barkley, Golladay, Shepard, and Slayton all on the field. Also, the Rams have a fantastic defense and one of the best CBs in the NFL in Jalen Ramsey. Toney looked great on Sunday, but I wouldn’t call him a shoe-in to dominate Jalen Ramsey quite yet.

Add Toney, for sure. He’s an exciting prospect who (for now) doesn’t have a ton of competition for targets. Be cautious, though, as always, and if you can, give him one more week on your bench while he plays a stellar defense.

*Should Kenny Golladay be active against the Rams, my Toney ranking will increase because Golladay is, for now, still the alpha receiver on the Giants.

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TJ Horgan is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @tjhorgantv.

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