March 10, 2017

Javann Jones examines the fantasy implications of wide receiver Brandon Marshall signing with the New York Giants for the 2017 football season.

NFL free agency is officially underway and some of the big names are already starting to swap uniforms. One longtime star receiver won't be moving cities, yet he is switching conferences and upgrading to a contender.

The New York Giants signed free agent wide receiver Brandon Marshall to a two-year contract Wednesday. Marshall, who has been the number one wide receiver on his previous five teams, will most likely become the Giants’ number two receiver behind Odell Beckham, Jr. The acquisition of Marshall potentially signals the release of Victor Cruz, and Sterling Shepard moving down to the third receiving target, or at least 2A.

Last year, the Giants' offense was a unique one that took advantage of each of its talented receivers' strengths. With the size and skills that Marshall brings to the table, there’s no doubt that all of the Giants’ receivers will benefit, Marshall included. Here’s what to expect from each.

Brandon Marshall's Impact on the Giants

Standing at six feet, four inches and weighing 230 pounds, it’s possible the Giants will use him on slants to get him into an area where he can use his larger size, arm and strength to push through smaller corners tasked with trying to contain him. With Beckham on one side, Marshall on the other and Sterling Shepard in the slot, the red zone will effectively become a choose-your-own-adventure full of bad endings for opposing defenses. There’s no reason to believe that Marshall won’t see an uptick in the amount of red zone opportunities he’ll see with the Giants, provided he can develop a rapport with quarterback Eli Manning and stay healthy. Marshall also stands to benefit from not facing the opposing team's top corner every week. Hopefully, the 32 year-old receiver can recapture some of his 2015 form, a year that saw him catch 109 passes for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns.

From a fantasy perspective, this should cause a modest uptick in expectations for Marshall, especially since he just had one of his worst years fantasy-wise. This new team and new locker room will no doubt inspire and refresh Marshall, much as it did when he initially joined the Jets after leaving a similarly bad year behind him in Chicago. He'll also receive less attention from opposing defenses, who’ll be all hands on deck towards stopping the offensive beast that is OBJ. This all means that Marshall has the potential to thrive, and that could translate into a monster year for him, especially in PPR format leagues. You should be able to sneak Marshall onto your team in the fifth or sixth round of drafts or even later, considering his less-than-stellar performance last season. You’ll want to take the chance on him because there’s still a lot of tread left on Marshall’s tires, and he’s played and thrived in West Coast offenses before.

What About Shepard?

After having a stellar rookie year which saw Shepard break out and excel, the acquisition of Marshall has moved Shepard to the third receiver. While the Giants don’t use their third receiver as a traditional slot receiver, Shepard has proven he has the speed and the route running ability to work both inside and outside. Quite frankly there aren’t as many targets to go around for the Giants’ receivers not named Beckham, and the addition of Marshall means that Shepard will yet again find himself fighting for targets amongst a talented group of receivers. Shepard caught 65 passes for 683 receiving yards last season, and there’s no reason to believe that the Giants won’t continue finding ways to involve Shepard in the offense.

Speaking of last season, Cruz saw 72 targets to Shepard’s 105 as the Giants’ third receiver. From a fantasy standpoint, this stat is the most troubling for Shepard’s scoring potential. With Marshall, who is an upgrade from Victor Cruz, poised to move into the number two receiver position for the Giants, Shepard’s owners might find themselves hoping for more from him. Shepard’s eight receiving touchdowns were a testament to the young receiver’s skills. Ultimately, adding another weapon to the mix may take away targets, but the added pressure on defenses who will find themselves matching up ostensibly with three number one receivers.

Another bright spot for Shepard is that he is a possess a  different skill set than does Marshall. Marshall’s physicality and strength make him great for catching passes across the middle, but he is not known for his route running. Shepard is a precise route runner, a quality that’s necessary for many of the rub/pick routes that the Giants run in the red zone. Shepard will continue to prosper as the third wide receiver, and is a receiver worth targeting, especially now that this trade has happened. Overall you'd do well to pocket the young receiver, who'll benefit from less attention, but possess the skill to not only survive but thrive in the slot.