The NY Giants have high expectations on offense for this season and the team is hoping that Victor Cruz will be ready to go Week 1 after dealing with a calf injury, as Eli Manning would love to have Odell Beckham, Cruz and Rueben Randle on the field at the same time. Fantasy owners should keep an eye on Shane Vereen, Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings, as those players could be good handcuff options.
The Giants are coming in after a losing season, but with Odell Beckham breaking out into superstardom, Big Blue feels very confident on the offensive side of things. Eli Manning took a liking to Ben McAdoo's offensive system and he really got a handle on it down the stretch last season. The Giants offense was one of the best in the league during that time and Manning is hoping to pick up where he left off when Week 1 starts up this season.
Manning and the Giants hope that Cruz is healthy for Week 1 and right now it's a question as to whether he will be able to play or not. According to the New York Daily News, Cruz is "in doubt" to play Week 1, as he is dealing with a calf injury. Cruz said that he is being cautious, but that he wants to get out onto the field and play. Cruz said to Steve Serby of the NY Post in an interview that calves "can be tricky" and the Giants likely want to be careful anyway with Cruz tearing up his knee last season.
One thing everyone is excited about is having Cruz and Beckham on the field at the same time for more snaps this season. Last year the team only had the two players on the field for about 60 snaps and now the team is looking for a three headed monster again like they had with Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Cruz. Rueben Randle has been dealing with a knee issue, but he is expected to be healthy and he is looking to capitalize on his best season with another strong year.
Cruz comes in after playing in just six games last season and putting up 23 catches for 337 yards. Even if Cruz misses Week 1, the Giants hope that he will not sidelined for long. The team also has high hopes for the running game, as the team added Shane Vereen in the offseason. Vereen is a great fantasy PPR player and receiver out of the backfield and he should fit right into McAdoo's system. Jennings dealt with injuries last season and that allowed Williams to get experience and now the Giants have solid depth at RB.