RADIO
Dion Lewis 2020 Outlook: Big Blue’s Backup
5 years agoNew York Giants newly acquired running back Dion Lewis is a PPR journeyman who is going on his sixth team. His most productive stretch came for the New England Patriots in 2015, where he played in seven games and averaged 17.5 PPR points per game, but he has never produced at that level since. Over the last two seasons, the shifty scat-back played behind Derrick Henry for the Tennessee Titans, but his role was so small that he was not even worth rostering in fantasy leagues. Unfortunately for Lewis, his role for the Giants is not going to be any different. Saquon Barkley is going to command virtually all of the touches in the Giants’ backfield, but even Superman needs a water break now and then, which is where Lewis comes in. Before the G-Men added him in free agency, Wayne Gallman was the primary backup to Barkley, but the backfield lost the dynamic receiving aspect that Barkley possesses when he was on the field. By signing the 5’8” change-of-pace running back, the Giants have solved that problem. Currently, he is off the fantasy radar as the 109th running back off the board in ADP, but believe it or not, that is a tremendous value in deeper PPR leagues and Best-Ball leagues. He should see anywhere between 30-40 receptions as the substitute to Barkley, yet he is being drafted behind players like Kalen Ballage, Jay Ajayi, and Rodney Anderson, who probably won’t even touch the ball this year. He is even being drafted behind the Giants’ fullback Elijah Penny. That’s right, their fullback. When draft season rolls around this summer, feel free to draft Big Blue’s new weapon as Barkley’s handcuff in PPR leagues, but do not expect any standalone value throughout the season.
