Fantasy Football Impact Of Najee Harris Joining Giants: Cam Skattebo Losing Carries?

After visiting with the Giants on Monday, Najee Harris signed a one-year deal with the team just one day later. The move comes just days after Tyrone Tracy absolutely whiffed on a blitz pick up during the team’s preseason game, leading to Jaxson Dart taking a huge hit and having to visit the medical tent. 

Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

Join Our Newsletter

Trusted by 400,000+ fantasy football players. Get access to Fantasy Life's free award winning newsletter and tools, all in one step.

Email Address

Subscribe

By registering or logging in, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

New York Giants Sign Najee Harris: Fantasy Fallout

To be fair, the Giants have been linked to running backs throughout the offseason, whether it be free agency or the NFL Draft. Regardless, Harris has been a plus pass protector throughout his NFL career, so it is fair to question if Tracy is suddenly in the doghouse. During New York’s first preseason game, Cam Skattebo played just 31% of the snaps with the first-team offense, though it was expected that the Giants would ease him back following last year’s brutal injury. All three running backs got time with the starters, though that is highly unlikely to be the case during the regular season. 

Harris is coming off a serious injury of his own, suffering a torn Achilles in Week 3 of last season. HC John Harbaugh stated that Harris is not back to 100% yet, making it unlikely he plays a major role in this backfield, especially early in the season. 

The question, however, remains how involved Skattebo will be to kick off the 2026 campaign. From Weeks 4-7 last year, Skattebo handled 60% of the carries, 85% of the short-down-and-distance snaps, 78% of the carries from inside the 5-yard line and 69% of the overall snaps. During that same span, he averaged 18.8 carries, 74 rushing yards and 4.3 targets. He tallied 33 receptions and 18.7 PPR points per game, good for RB8 in fantasy. Even with Tracy returning from injury, Skattebo remained the clear starter, which continued into a Week 8 game in Philadelphia. Skattebo recorded six of the first 10 running back opportunities before suffering a season-ending injury, derailing a breakout season. 

Matthew Berry's 100 Facts

Does this move suggest the Giants are going to limit Skattebo’s early-season workload? Is it an indictment on Tracy? Or are the Giants simply just looking for added depth in their running back room? Greg Roman, now a senior offensive assistant with the Giants, was with Harris in Los Angeles last season, so perhaps that played a role. 

Following this move, Tracy is someone I’d completely remove from my draft board, while Skattebo takes a slight hit, mainly because Harris has been a plus goal-line rusher for much of his career.