Giants Fantasy Outlook vs. Patriots After Barkley, Engram, Shepard Ruled Out

As if a matchup with the New England Patriots wasn't enough to scare off fantasy football owners, the New York Giants will be without three of their best threats Thursday night.

The team announced Wednesday that Saquon Barkley (ankle injury), Evan Engram (knee injury) and Sterling Shepard (concussion) are all out. Wayne Gallman, Barkley's backup, will be absent as well because of a concussion.

Quarterback Daniel Jones is likely to have a hard time Thursday based on his available options on offense.

You should probably stay away from anybody on New York's roster for Week 6.

Even if Barkley, Engram and Shepard were healthy, Jones is still a rookie quarterback up against a Patriots defense that is allowing a league-low 160.4 passing yards per game. New England has also intercepted 11 passes while surrendering zero touchdowns.

Now you have to factor in that the Giants are without their two leading rushers (Barkley and Gallman) and top two receivers (Engram and Shepard).

Jones' numbers have declined in each of his last two starts after he went for 336 yards and two touchdowns in his Week 3 debut. That trend could plausibly continue Thursday, earning him a trip to the bench in standard fantasy leagues.

The Giants didn't have Golden Tate for the first four games while he served a suspension, but his production in Week 5 (three receptions for 13 yards) wasn't encouraging.

Because he's the most experienced receiver on the Giants, Tate is positioned to be the No. 1 aerial target for Jones. That might be enough to warrant starting for desperate owners.

Similarly, Darius Slayton (nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown) should see more targets, making him a cheap streaming alternative.

Tate and Slayton carry plenty of short-term risk, so proceed with caution if you're seriously considering either player.

Running back Jon Hilliman could be headed for a breakout in his first career NFL start, but you wouldn't assume so based on his first two appearances. He ran for 53 yards on 19 carries and caught one pass for four yards.

The Patriots are giving up 4.3 yards per carry, so Hilliman might be able to make an impact with enough touches.

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