Week 17 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sterling Shepard has been in and out of the lineup all season, but he’s been fairly productive when active. Last week, he caught all six balls thrown his way for 76 yards and a touchdown. He’s averaging 8.1 targets per game and has managed to score twice over his last four games. Shepard is the most reliable receiving option in New York and has a high floor in PPR formats when healthy.
The Eagles rank 17th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers this year and really struggle at both cornerback positions, giving Shepard significant upside this week. If he can continue to get the targets he’s been getting all year, he should be able to do some damage and in a good matchup, he has WR2 upside, particularly in PPR formats.
Week 16 at Washington Redskins
Sterling Shepard didn’t find the end zone last week, but he recorded his first 100-yard receiving day since September, catching nine balls for 111 yards against a struggling Dolphins secondary. Shepard should continue to get fed the ball, as he’s been targeted an average 8.4 times per game when healthy this year, giving him a high floor in large leagues.
Washington is tied for third in aFPA to opposing wide receivers this season, so it’s hard to get too excited about Shepard in what could be a run-based attack. However, the Giants are not good defensively, so it’s possible both teams throw the ball a little more than their respective opponents have throughout the season. Shepard’s consistent targets make him a quality low-end WR3 option, particularly in PPR formats.
Week 15 vs. Miami Dolphins
Sterling Shepard only had 28 receiving yards last week, but he was second on the team with seven targets and looked healthy. Shepard has been on the field for 91% of the snaps he’s been healthy for this season – tops among Giants wide receivers – making him reasonably reliable for an offensive player in New York.
This week, Shepard has an excellent matchup against the Dolphins. Only the Buccaneers rank lower in aFPA to opposing wide receivers this season, giving Shepard considerable upside if he continues to get his usual eight targets per game. He’s risky because the entire Giants offense is awfully hard to trust, but given the matchup, he has WR3 potential.
Week 14 at Philadelphia Eagles
Sterling Shepard caught three passes for 40 yards and a touchdown last week in a lopsided loss to the Packers. Shepard was targeted seven times and has now seen 16 targets in his two games back from concussion protocol. Shepard only has 55 receiving yards during that span, but it’s good to see him remain a focal point of the passing game after so much time off.
This week, Shepard has some WR3 upside in a nice matchup. The Eagles rank 22nd in aFPA to opposing wide receivers this season and Golden Tate is once again questionable with a head injury of his own. Even if Tate returns to action, Shepard is still likely the primary receiver in the offense and should be more productive against a struggling secondary.
Week 13 vs. Green Bay Packers
Sterling Shepard returned to action last week against the Bears and caught five of the nine balls thrown his way, but he only gained 15 yards. He gained an additional 22 yards on the ground, but it was definitely not a huge return for him in what became the Giants’ ninth loss of the season. Shepard has potential for the stretch run, particularly in PPR formats, but he’s risky with the injury issues he’s had and playing on a struggling offense.
This week, Shepard should stay on the bench if Golden Tate is active, but if Tate – struggling with his own concussion issues – misses the contest, Shepard has some WR3 upside against the Packers. Green Bay ranks 17th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers and if Tate is out, then Shepard should benefit. In most leagues, however, take a wait-and-see approach to Shepard as he works his way back into the offense.
Week 12 at Chicago Bears
Sterling Shepard has been out with concussion issues since October 6th against the Vikings. In his first four games, he caught 25 balls for 267 yards and a touchdown, but he’s struggled to clear protocol since. There are rumors that he may be active this week, but fantasy owners should take a wait-and-see approach with him, even if he starts. He’s more likely to hurt the fantasy value of the other Giants receivers than he is to put up big numbers himself in his first game back and playing against a tough Bears defense.
Week 7 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Sterling Shepard has missed two games with injuries and he’s questionable going into this weekend after having concussion issues, but he’s been heavily targeted when active and worth fantasy consideration as the top receiver for the Giants. In four games, he’s averaged 8.5 targets per game.
This week, Shepard has a nice matchup against a Cardinals defense that ranks 17th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers this season. The Cardinals have struggled heavily against the tight end position this season, but are just below average against wide receivers. Still, this is a nice matchup for Shepard, and as long as he doesn’t show up on the injury report again, he should be active as a low-end WR2.
Update: Shepard is out this week, so get him out of your lineups, and bump up Golden Tate and Darius Slayton.
Week 5 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sterling Shepard caught seven balls for 76 yards last week against Washington. He was targeted nine times and is averaging 8.3 targets per game so far this season. Shepard has been hampered by injuries throughout his short career but is the most talented receiver the Giants have and should be used frequently while he’s in the lineup. Golden Tate is active this week, which may hurt Shepard a little, but he’s more likely to affect the other Giants receivers.
This week, Shepard faces a Vikings defense that has been very average against wide receivers this year, ranking 15th in aFPA. Shepard should continue to be targeted heavily, and has a high floor, particularly in PPR formats. He’s a low-end WR2 with upside this week.
Week 4 vs. Washington Redskins
Sterling Shepard had a great game against the Buccaneers last week, catching seven balls for 100 yards and a touchdown. He led the team with nine targets and seemed to click immediately with rookie Daniel Jones. As long as Shepard can stay on the field, he should continue to be heavily targeted, and if the rookie quarterback turns out to be the real deal, Shepard might become a viable and consistent fantasy option for the first time in his career after flashing that ability in the past.
Shepard faces a Redskins defense that was just torched by Taylor Gabriel on Monday night for three touchdowns. The Giants and Washington are the two teams ranked at the very bottom of the league in aFPA to the wide receiver position, so expect nice receiving days on both sides of the ball. Shepard should be considered a quality WR2 option in all leagues.
Week 3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sterling Shepard should return to action this week after missing last week against the Bills with a concussion. Shepard was targeted seven times in Week 1 against the Cowboys and he has some upside, particularly in PPR formats as the primary receiver in New York. We’ll see if the change at quarterback to rookie Daniel Jones ends up being a positive thing for the Giants’ receiving corps in the long run, but it may be best to take a wait-and-see approach for now.
Shepard would probably be the only receiver in New York worth considering right now, but the Buccaneers have quietly allowed the sixth-least fantasy points to opposing receivers through two games. We have him ranked as a low-end WR3 option, and if you can wait another week to see what the new Giants offense looks like, that might be the best idea.
