Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz is coming off a torn patellar tendon that ended his season after only six starts last year. He has said he expects to be ready for Week 1, but you never really know how a player is going to return from such an injury until you see them back in action. Cruz put up modest numbers in his six starts last year, with two games over 100 yards, but only one touchdown after only finding the end zone four times in 2013. The Giants are hoping he’ll pair with second year standout Odell Beckham Jr. to form one of the best receiving groups in the NFL.

Fantasy Upside
Cruz has always been a shifty route runner who gobbles up targets and finds soft spots in the defense. He’s only two years removed from back-to-back 1,000 plus yard seasons, and he’s averaged over five receptions per game over his four year career. Quarterback Eli Manning has faith in him, and if he can come back healthy, there’s no reason to think he won’t resume his role as a primary option on the team, even working out of the slot in 3WR sets.

Fantasy Downside
Coming off an injury, we’ll have to wait and see whether or not Cruz’s cutting ability and explosiveness will be the same. Also, we haven’t seen Cruz really play with Beckham Jr., as OBJ was injured through the first few games of last year. How much OBJ cuts into Cruz’s production remains to be seen. Cruz also had a down year in 2013, along with the rest of the Giants’ offense, though he still averaged nearly 14 yards per reception that year.

Bottom Line
Cruz is a risk/reward pickup who will likely be drafted as a WR3, or top bye week sub for fantasy owners. He has the potential to be much more than that if he can regain his 2011-2012 form and continue to be targeted an average of 8.4 times per game. However, with a more crowded receiving corps and the injury to get past, he’s too risky for fantasy owners to bank on as an early round starter at the position.

Week 5 – Victor Cruz vs. Atlanta

Victor Cruz seems to be back on track after a couple of rough early season outings. He had a nice game against Washington last week, posting 108 yards on six receptions, and the Giants offense seems to be clicking.

Cruz is back to being a nice weekly starter, and we have him ranked as a top 20 start this week, putting him right in WR2 territory. He faces a Falcons defense that has been torched by the pass this season and we don’t expect things to change this week coming off a fantastic offensive showing by the Giants a week ago. The signs are good for Cruz to be back as a top fantasy option.

Week 3 – Victor Cruz vs. Houston

Victor Cruz and the rest of the Giants receivers had another rough outing against the Cardinals last week, as he finished with five catches but only 60 yards. Cruz also dropped a couple of easy balls that you’d like to see the veteran slot receiver hang on to.

This week, he faces a tough Texans defense that features tough, physical corners and an imposing pass rush. While one would think Cruz would get it going at some point, it’s hard to trust the guy who’s been in a slump for what already seems like forever. He has upside as a WR3/Flex option, but he’s a risky player to start and fantasy owners with a more consistent option might want to keep him on the bench until the Giants figure it out on offense.