The New York Giants (6-20 host the Houston Texans (1-6-1) this Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
For fantasy players and owners, it’s not the most attractive matchup on the slate but there’s always opportunities to take advantage of.
Here is a quick outlook of Sunday’s matchup.
Pick of the day
Giants running back Saquon Barkley is averaging 20.7 FFPG on DraftKings and is facing a Houston rushing defense that is ranked last against running backs this year, yielding an average of 34.8 FFPG on DK and 30.9 on FanDuel.
He’s a mist-play in all formats regards of the the opponent but this is as big a ‘green light’ matchup as you’ll find anywhere this weekend.
Save your money
Both teams are below average against tight ends (barely) but neither team has a tight end who is dressing in this game that is worth a play.
Houston has an interesting situation as rookie Teagan Quitoriano made his NFL debut last week and caught a touchdown. He could see more targets in this game. Veterans Jordan Akins and O.J. Howard are also cheap options but there’s no reason for you to play either in year long or DFS.
The Giants are rolling with Tanner Hudson, Chris Myarick and Lawrence Cager with Daniel Bellinger (eye) still out. Steer clear.
Two unpredictable quarterbacks
The Giants’ Daniel Jones is averaging 16.9 FPG on DK and is matchup dependent. Last week in Seattle he scored 9.04 after wracking up 31.78 FFPG against Jacksonville the week before. Houston has ben pretty stingy against quarterbacks this year, allowing an NFL sixth-lowest 14.1 FFPG on DK.
Davis Mills is averaging just 12.9 FFPG this season and has jut one game over 20 FFPG. He has some injury issues in his receiving corps that will compound those this week as we outline below.
Injuries to watch
The Giants have two injuries of note to keep an eye on, both in the wide receiver ranks. Kenny Golladay (knee) finally has a chance to play and Richie James (concussion) might be back as well but may not be returning punts. Houston has been a top-5 defense against wideouts this year, so there’s not much here.
The Texans’ best offensive player this year — rookie running back Dameon Pierce — has been limited in practice with a chest/shoulder issue. He’s likely to play but, again, tread lightly. Houston’s already paltry passing game will be hindered by injuries to their top receivers: Brandin Cooks (wrist) and Nico Collins. The Giants have the fourth-best against wide receivers this year.
