Fantasy Football Player Notes

Saquon Barkley was finally healthy in 2022 and reaped the rewards of playing in a much better offensive environment. The Giants RB finished as the RB5 overall and in points per game, as he was able to recapture his explosive upside as both a rusher and receiver. Barkley finished second in overall touches (352) and backfield opportunity share (80%) behind only Josh Jacobs through 17 weeks. He also scored 10 rushing TDs with 23 carries inside the 10-yard line. In 2021, Barkley totaled just 13 red-zone touches all season. Let Barkley's return to glory show that you want to target young impending FA RBs in improved offensive situations that project to earn high volume with proven records of production. Without a long-term contract in place - even after agreeing to a new one-year incentive-based deal worth up to $11 million - expect the Giants to run Barkley hard in 2023. They have no long commitment to him, and Barkley likely will want to maximize his financial gains from his on-field play. Per Spotrac, If Barkley earns all the incentives and earns the $11 million, his franchise tag value will increase to up to $13.2 million in 2024 or a $24.2 million payout over two years. His incentives are each $303,000 (1,350 yards rushing, 65 catches, 11 total touchdowns) and are also tied to the Giants making the playoffs based on a report from the NY Post.

After putting together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, Darren Waller has missed 14 games due to injury over the last two years. In 2021, a knee injury forced Waller to miss five late-season games. In 2022, a hamstring injury wiped out nearly half of his season. Now with the Giants, Waller could see a lot of targets for a team that lacks size at the WR position. Waller has been reasonably productive when healthy the last two seasons, but he now has to be considered at least a mild health risk, and the big tight end will turn 31 in September.

A mistake-prone turnover machine during his first three NFL seasons, Daniel Jones flourished in Year Four under first-year Giants head coach Brian Daboll, finishing QB9 in fantasy scoring. Jones ran for 708 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. He averaged only 200.3 passing yards per game and threw 15 TD passes in 15 starts, but Jones didn't have much pass-catching talent at his disposal and could increase his passing output now that the Giants have added more weaponry. Jones figures to be a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 in 2023 fantasy drafts.

Isaiah Hodgins is a priority pick in the later rounds of drafts. Once New York made him a full-time player, he crushed. In Weeks 13-17, he logged four top-24 wide receiver outings in five games. Yes, he also got lucky with touchdowns, as he scored in each of those four games, but those were also a result of Daniel Jones' trust in the red zone with Hodgins (five red zone targets in those four games). When looking at Hodgins' deeper metrics, his production was also related to his underrated talent. Hodgins' ranked first last year in route win rate and win rate against man coverage. If Hodgins can pick up where he left off last year, he'll be a screaming value in 2023.

Darius Slayton is worth considering at the end of your drafts this season. Last season's WR55 finish isn't glamorous, but Slayton did log seven weeks with WR3 or better production after becoming a staple in the offense (Weeks 5-18). Slayton's lack of a red zone role (only three targets inside the 20) severely hurt his weekly floor and ceiling, but he has the talent to outkick expectations if he can sniff some touchdown regression (only two touchdowns in 2022). Slayton ranked 18th in open rate (per ESPN analytics) and 29th in yards per route run (minimum 50 targets per PFF) last season.

Wan'Dale Robinson isn't worth a draft selection, but he could be a priority waiver add at some point this season. The small four-game snippet we got last year with Robinson as a starter was encouraging. He earned a 22% target share with 1.64 yards per route run and a 22% target per route run rate. Robinson not only has health concerns as he is making a comeback from an ACL tear he endured in Week 11 last season, but also he has to contend with a flurry of receiver additions this offseason. Once he can practice, Robinson must fight off Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, and Sterling Shepard for playing time. Keep Robinson earmarked in your players to monitor as the 2023 fantasy season unfolds.

Before the Colts traded for Zack Moss in 2022, Deon Jackson was used as the team's No. 2 rusher to Jonathan Taylor. He filled in admirably from Weeks 5, 6, and 9 when Taylor was unable to play. The former 2021 UDFA drew the start in two of the contests while averaging over five catches per game. The third-year pro also led the backfield in targets over the final four weeks of the season. Considering the team's efforts to add more RBs to the roster after they saw Jackson play in 2022 - draft Evan Hull, and trade for Zack Moss - he is likely their last-ditch effort to address their RB room. But given Taylor's PUP status and Moss' broken arm (projected to miss Week 1 based on the 6-week recovery timetable), Jackson could be in line for starting RB duties based on his back-to-back starts in the team's last two preseason games.

Eric Gray first burst onto the college football scene at Tennessee in 2020, rushing for 758 yards and four TDs with 31 catches for 262 yards en route to a 26% dominator rating as a sophomore. After the season, Gray transferred to Oklahoma for his last two years of college ball. His numbers fell after he lost his starting job in 2021, but he regained RB1 duties the following year. And he made his final year count, posting a 26% dominator rating with Kennedy Brooks off to the NFL.

Gray finished the 2022 season third in the class in PFF receiving grade and fifth in PFF rushing grade. The 5-foot-9 and 207-pound rusher finished the year third in positive rushing EPA and fourth in boom rate (rushes generating an EPA of one-plus). And per Sports Info Solutions, Gray posted the highest missed tackle rate per 100 touches in the class.

It's also entirely possible that Gray could have been selected earlier by the Giants if they had more picks available to them. Big Blue didn't have any other picks after 73rd overall until they selected Gray with the 172nd pick. Considering New York's RB depth chart is barren behind Barkley, Gray is a player worth monitoring. Could easily see this Giants coaching staff falling in love with Gray. He totaled 549 carries in college and never fumbled.

Fourth-round draft pick Daniel Bellinger showed promise in 2022 but missed four midseason games after an eye injury that included a fractured orbital bone. The 6-6, 255-pound Bellinger finished with 30 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. The Giants' offseason signing of Darren Waller renders Bellinger undraftable in most fantasy leagues, but considering Waller's recent injury history, Bellinger could become a worthy waiver target at some point during the 2023 season.