Fantasy Football: New York Giants start/sit for Week 3

Eli Manning: Start him

The Washington Redskins defense may have turned a corner. Their run defense was very solid in 2014 but their weakness comes in the passing game. Or perhaps not anymore, as they are third in the league in passing yards per attempt. While they did face Nick Foles in week two, they did limit Ryan Tannenhill in their season opener who went off in week two with 350 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Regardless, there are still some positives that make Eli Manning a solid start if you are unsure of your QB situation this week. The biggest advantage here is that the Giants will have home field advantage on a short week. Washington has yet to travel this season and their first test will be on three days' rest. Odell Beckham Jr. put his week one behind him by tearing up the Atlanta Falcons. While he was barely targeted in the second half, I highly doubt the Giants would make that mistake twice. And in a not so insignificant point, Eli Manning leads the league in dropped passes. The main culprit in Preston Parker is no longer a Giant and surely anyone else on this team is more reliable.

Rashad Jennings: Sit him

Jennings was mostly invisible against the Atlanta Falcons who managed seven yards on nine carries. To be fair, Shane Vereen posted similar numbers when rushing the ball though Andre Williams curiously impressed with 70 yards on six carries. While the Redskins run defense hasn't been as potent as 2014 so far, neither has Jennings. I would avoid the risk altogether by not playing Jennings if you can help it.

Shane Vereen: Start him (PPR only)

As I wrote last week, Shane Vereen has a very solid floor in a PPR league. Last week he scored roughly 17 points for a full point per reception. Vereen managed only 19 yards on six carries. In fact, four of those six carries had Vereen gaining 2 yards or less. Yet because of points per receiving he still gave fantasy owners a high floor at the flex position. Even if Vereen look awful rushing the ball, the fact that the Giants lack reliable receiving options outside of Odell Beckham Jr. makes Vereen an above average flex play.

Reuben Randle: Sit him

Heck, Randle might even be droppable soon if he doesn't pick things up. It's possible that his chronic knee tendinitis issues may be limiting him more than usual but either way there's no reason to trust Randle at all. He managed just one completion for a measly five yards and was targeted only one other time beyond that. Even though the Giants are hurting for a receiver to take pressure off of Beckham, Randle should be avoided everywhere.

Larry Donnell: Sit him

With Daniel Fells not playing it would have seemed that Donnell would have benefitted greatly. And while he did score a touchdown, Donnell only received two more targets in week two than in week one. While this Giants offense is desperate for anyone to step up, Donnell doesn't seem to be that guy. As he is still a viable red zone target, his production will be boom or bust. Given how shallow the tight end pool is, I wouldn't blame you if you started him but I would again avoid the risk if possible.

Giants defense: Sit them

Playing in some deep leagues with Giants fans, some have looked to add their defense to play against a usually porous Redskins offense. While the Giants defense hasn't let up a lot of points, they do have their weaknesses. Run defense actually seems to be a strength this year but the way to score fantasy points is through sacks and interceptions. Not only is the Giants pass rush invisible, but the Redskins look to be heavily reliant on running the ball which will limit the potential for Kirk Cousins interceptions. You could do better at streaming a defense for this week.