With free agency and the NFL Draft having come and gone, it’s time to fully embrace the 2023 offseason by breaking down the fantasy football aspirations of each and every team before fantasy draft season truly gets underway.
Here is a fantasy-focused breakdown of the New York Giants, looking at key questions like:
- Was 2022 a fluke or a sign of bigger things to come from Daniel Jones?
- Does Saquon Barkley deserve to be drafted as a top-five fantasy RB?
- Who will rise to the top of this crowded passing game?
Every fantasy-relevant player from the Giants will be covered in the following paragraphs. Make sure to check out the Fantasy Life Team Preview Landing Page through the end of June for all-encompassing fantasy football coverage on each of the 32 NFL teams.
Offseason moves
From the front office to the coaching staff to the roster, every NFL team will be different in 2023 compared to their respective 2022 version.
And yet, the Giants managed to bring back all the key parties from their coaching staff. Reigning head coach of the year Brian Daboll will once again be flanked by offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Don Martindale. Collectively, the trio will enter their second year together with far higher expectations after managing to notch a Wild Card win over the Vikings in 2022.
The $160 million question heading into 2023 is whether or not Daboll and company will feel more comfortable fully handing the offense over to their franchise QB.
Last year, the Giants ranked just 24th in pass rate over expectation (-5.6%) while operating at just the 20th-fastest pace in neutral situations. This was typically a run-first, slow-moving offense that also didn’t make a habit of stretching the field. New York's 6.5 average depth of target (aDOT) was third-lowest in the league behind only the Chargers (6.4) and Colts (6.3).
Additionally, the Giants have made plenty of changes to their roster. While they didn't make any moves at QB or RB, New York has made some significant moves at WR and TE this offseason.
Much-maligned free agent signing Kenny Golladay remains a free agent, but at least we’ll always have that one TD, and auxiliary WR Marcus Johnson is also out of the picture. Richie James was sneakily pretty solid with a 57-569-4 receiving line in 2022 but took his talents to Kansas City. To replace them, the Giants' solution was to sign various contributors in Parris Campbell (one-year, $4.7 million), Jamison Crowder (one-year, $1.3 million), and Jeff Smith (one-year, $1.2 million) in free agency.
Sep 18, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) makes a touchdown catch over Arizona Cardinals linebacker Ezekiel Turner (47) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
New York's biggest addition this offseason was trading for TE Darren Waller from the Raiders. While it cost them a third-round pick to acquire him, Waller has more 1,000-yard receiving seasons (2) than the rest of the team’s WRs combined (0) and could potentially lead the team in receiving this coming season.
In addition to their free-agent signings, the Giants also drafted Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt (3.73) and Oklahoma RB Eric Gray (5.172).