Cam Skattebo Primed To Lead Giants Backfield for Fantasy Football

The headline from the Giants’ 2025 draft was selecting quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round. While not as flashy a selection, the team adding running back Cam Skattebo in the fourth round also injected life into their offense. However, a gruesome injury ended his campaign early. With a full offseason to recover, Skattebo is in line to lead the Giants’ backfield this season.

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Promising Rookie Campaign Cut Short

Skattebo only logged eight offensive snaps in Week 1 against the Commanders. His role quickly changed after that, logging 35 and 39 offensive snaps in the next two games. He then reeled off four straight games in which he was on the field for at least 45 offensive snaps.

From Week 2 through Week 7, Skattebo showed both a hard-running style and an ability to make an impact in the passing game. He had two games with six receptions each. In Week 6, he ran for three touchdowns against the Eagles. Over that six-game span, he finished with at least 90 total yards five times. When the Giants got in close, they also turned to Skattebo to get them into the end zone. During the same span, he received 22 carries inside the red zone. Of those 22, eight came from inside the five-yard line.

Skattebo’s usage through those six games was through the roof. According to the 4for4 Player Touches App, he was tied for fourth among running backs during that stretch with 117 touches. The three players who ranked ahead of him were Christian McCaffrey (154), Jonathan Taylor (133), and Quinshon Judkins (118).

With the arrow pointing up for the rookie running back, things came crashing to a halt in Week 8 when he suffered a dislocated ankle, fractured his tibia, and ruptured deltoid ligament against the Eagles. As gruesome as that injury was, Skattebo has already said that he will be ready for Week 1.

New Coaching Staff

The Giants moved on from Brian Daboll after having yet another disappointing season. They brought in one of the best coaches available, hiring John Harbaugh after he was let go by the Ravens. During his tenure with Baltimore, the team often deployed a run-heavy approach. Last season, the Ravens finished third in the NFL in rushing attempts. That’s not a new trend. They finished second in 2024, first in 2023, and seventh in 2022.

Now, the Ravens did have a mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson, who boosted their rushing attempts. However, Derrick Henry was also heavily featured. He finished fourth in the NFL in rushing attempts last year and second in 2024, which was his first season with the franchise. The Giants have their own mobile quarterback in Dart, but history indicates that Skattebo could also receive a ton of carries. Harbaugh has also provided glowing reviews of him, including saying he is a top-tier back.

Another stat that works in Skattebo’s favor is how often the Ravens turned to Henry when they got in close. Henry had 63 rush attempts inside the red zone last season, which helped him score 16 touchdowns. The season prior, he posted 16 rushing touchdowns and 56 red zone carries. Of those 56, 20 came from inside of five yards.

Depth Behind Skattebo

The Giants have brought back mostly the same backfield as last season. The main competition behind Skattebo on the depth chart is Tyrone Tracy Jr., who will be in his third season with the team. Like Skattebo, Tracy can contribute both on the ground and in the passing game. Over the final eight games last season, Tracy led the way for the Giants with 563 rushing yards, 201 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns.

Skattebo is a more physical running back and has already had more success reaching the end zone. Despite playing 32 games the last two seasons, Tracy only has seven rushing touchdowns and three receiving scores. He only had two rushing touchdowns last season despite being given 21 carries inside the red zone.

Behind Tracy is veteran Devin Singletary, who only ran for 437 yards last season despite Skattebo missing so much time. There are also Eric Gray and Dante Miller, who are struggling to just stay in the league.

Likely because of the lack of quality options behind him, Skattebo has an ADP of 43 per 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP. That puts him at RB19 behind Josh Jacobs (ADP 36) and just ahead of TreVeyon Henderson (ADP 54). With the expectation that Skattebo should receive a lot of carries, a significant number of targets, and could surpass double-digit total touchdowns, he has the potential to be one of the better RB2 options in fantasy.

The Bottom Line

• Before suffering a season-ending injury, Cam Skattebo had emerged as the Giants' primary running back last year, racking up stats both on the ground and in the passing attack.
• The hiring of Harbaugh should work in Skattebo’s favor, given his propensity for running the ball during his tenure with the Ravens.
• Harbaugh also gave Henry the lion’s share of the work out of the backfield in Baltimore, which could end up being the route that he also takes with Skattebo. The Giants’ depth chart behind Skattebo leaves a lot to be desired, especially in terms of production inside the red zone
• According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, Skattebo has an ADP of 43 and is RB19.
• Skattebo’s role and versatility leave him with the potential to be one of the better RB2s in fantasy this season.