Fantasy Football: Daniel Jones impact on New York Giants

With the Giants naming rookie Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback, how will the decision affect the other Giants players and fantasy football owners?

It looks like it may be the end of the Eli Manning era for the New York Giants. The Giants and head coach Pat Shurmur announced Tuesday afternoon that Daniel Jones will start at quarterback for New York against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week three, replacing Manning under center.

The Giants invested the sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft in Daniel Jones, making him the clear future of the franchise at the quarterback position. Many people, including myself, mocked Jones to the Giants with their 17th overall pick in that draft, and were surprised to see them tab him so early in the first round.

Before ever playing a snap of even preseason football for the Giants, Jones was the butt of many jokes regarding the Giants and GM Dave Gettleman this offseason. Trading away star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Pro Bowl edge rusher Olivier Vernon prior to the draft, many thought the selection of Daniel Jones was just another bonehead move by the Giants shoddy front office.

Jones stepped into preseason action with a chip on his shoulder, and did all he could to turn those naysayers into believers. In four games, Jones threw 34 times and completed 29 passes good for an 85.3 completion percentage.

He totaled 416 passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in his preseason action. Jones looked as sharp as he could have been, tossing dimes all across the field.

Even after Jones’ success in the preseason, the entire front office and coaching staff never wavered from the fact that Eli Manning was their starting quarterback.

However, an 0-2 start where the team was outscored 63-31 may make any team reconsider their options. Shurmur and the Giants acted quickly, and after just two weeks behind Manning, Jones will see NFL regular season action.

After an interesting first two weeks of the fantasy football season, especially for quarterbacks, some may be surprised to see who Eli Manning sits next to on the current scoring leaders list. One slot ahead of him in ESPN standard scoring? Aaron Rodgers. One spot behind him? Baker Mayfield.

These players are ranked 21-23 among quarterbacks, so that clearly speaks more to the surprise inefficiency of the other two QBs than it does to the effectiveness of Manning, but it just goes to show that even some of the league’s best passers can struggle through two weeks of an NFL season.

Regardless, the Giants have made their decision and are going with Jones.

Can Jones become a viable fantasy option for owners looking to replace an injured Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, or Cam Newton? How will his presence on the field affect the other Giants players that may be roster in fantasy? Let’s dive in.

I don’t expect Daniel Jones to come in and become a top 10 or top 15 fantasy quarterback. I do expect him to perform at a higher level than Eli Manning. If you did draft a quarterback that is injured now or you’re looking for a backup with some polarizing potential, Jones is certainly an option on the waiver wire this week.

Daniel Jones’ head coach at Duke was David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe has notably been involved in the careers of both Eli and Peyton Manning. And while Jones is replacing Eli, evaluators said that his potential ceiling is as “the next Peyton Manning“.

While he has a long, long way to go before even being considered in that breath, Jones is a big, smart, athletic quarterback who should provide a spark for the entire Giants team.

While not known for his arm strength, Jones has good touch on his deep ball and above average accuracy on his short and intermediate throws.

He is a quick and smart decision maker who can take what the defense gives him and work his way down the field. Jones is also an underrated runner and can make some plays on the ground with his feet, something that Eli has never really brought in his career.

As long as he is the starting quarterback for the New York Giants for the remainder of the season, I expect Daniel Jones to be a top 25 fantasy quarterback from this point forward, with top 15 potential. Jones should be able to hit open receivers, make a few plays with his feet, and improve greatly game after game.

Many people would be hesitant to add, let alone start Jones, citing his lack of weapons and the overall ineptness of his team in general.

But I feel that some of the key weapons the Giants do have fit Jones’ game perfectly. That is why I mocked him to New York. I think it is a perfect fit going forward, and Jones has the potential to surprise many people around the NFL and fantasy football worlds.

Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, and even Cody Latimer are all primed to see their fantasy stock increase, even just a little, with Jones under center. I expect the decision to bring in Jones to spark the performance of the entire Giants team, particularly the offense.

As long as the play designs and offensive weapons effectively open up targets, Jones should be able to hit them. Jones has shown that he is a smart football player who makes good decisions.

He isn’t afraid to take the checkdown if it’s their and has the capability to loft a deep ball down the field as well.

Initially, as Jones attempts to get his feet under him and get accustomed to the speed and physicality of NFL football, I expect him to utilize more short quick passes and check-downs to tight end Evan Engram and running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley should also be relied on even more in the run game as Jones gets more and more comfortable throwing the ball.

Jones has experience running a pro-style offense at Duke. While he still clearly will have some learning to do, it shouldn’t take Jones too long to get accustomed to the Giants offense. Especially if Shurmur caters his play-calling a bit to the strengths and needs of Jones, the offense should be considerably more potent sooner than later.

Barkley, Engram, and currently suspended wide receiver Golden Tate fit the “dink-and-dunk” style of play that many relate Jones to.

With Tate due back from suspension week 5, he should be able to come right in and be another valuable, quick-hitting target for Jones. In the meantime, wide receiver Cody Latimer could benefit from Jones seeing the field, as the two connected in the preseason.

Once Jones gets more comfortable under center, and once this player gets healthy himself, Sterling Shepard could become a very solid fantasy option at wide receiver.

Shepard lived in the shadow of Odell Beckham Jr. in recent years, but is a very talented receiver who can run routes and catch passes at all levels of the field. Once he returns from his concussion, if Shepard can develop a rapport with Jones, he could be a solid FLEX option with WR2 upside in fantasy.

With Daniel Jones at the helm, don’t expect the Giants to turn things around overnight. The offensive line is suspect and the defense has been underwhelming to say the least.

The Giants don’t have “elite” offensive weapons beyond Barkley and maybe Engram, but they are sufficient enough to allow Jones and the New York offense to have decent fantasy production, likely even more than most people expect.

I’m excited as a Barkley owner, and think that he once again has the potential to finish the number one running back in fantasy. Engram is still a top five tight end option.

Tate and Shepard could both be valuable FLEX options at some point in the season, depending on how Jones and Shurmur approach the playcalling and throwing decisions going forward. Jones should be a sufficient injury and bye week fill-in, and should absolutely allow the Giants players to come closer to reaching their fantasy potential.