Fantasy Football Week 4: New York Giants' Hakeem Nicks; Analysis and Outlook

You drafted New York Giant Hakeem Nicks in the middle rounds and grinned. You knew he was going to continue his consistent ways by grabbing 70-plus balls for over 1,000 yards.

Then he got hurt.

So where does that leave you now?

Fantasy Outlook

Be sure to take him out of the lineup for Week 4 since he officially will not be active against the Philadelphia Eagles. The knee that has been bothering him for the past couple of weeks swelled up Thursday, so the Giants will be cautious. The team insists it is only a bruise, so he should be back next week.

The Giants can exercise such caution because of Ramses Barden. He was given his first start last week and blew up for nine catches and 138 yards. However, there's no reason to worry about him stealing Nicks' time when he is healthy.

Nicks had 18 touchdowns the last two seasons and already has one this year. New York is not going to take a receiver off the field who knows how to get into the end zone. 

Analysis

Once Nicks returns to the field, he will regain his status as a great No. 2 wide receiver. He isn't going to ascend to No. 1 status due to the presence of Victor Cruz and the rest of the Giants' receivers.

You should still expect him to be close to his normal number, but his reception totals might slip if the Giants decide to spread the field. Obviously, this will lower his value in PPR leagues. He'll still grab the touchdowns, as Eli Manning will always go back to his reliable touchdown machine. 

The problem is determining when he will get back. Grab an insurance policy in the form of Domenik Hixon for the next couple of weeks to tide you over.