New York Giants: Sterling Shepard a sleeper weapon

New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard could be a sleeper option for your fantasy football squads and for the actual Giants in 2018.

Fresh start. Clean slate. These cliches have become unofficial mantras for the 2018 New York Giants. The ousters of head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese and incomings of new general manager Dave Gettleman and second-time head coach Pat Shurmur have provided numerous members of the Big Blue squad with needed opportunities to begin from scratch. Players such as Ereck Flowers, Eli Apple and even Davis Webb may immediately come to mind.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard doesn’t stand out among them because he didn’t have all that awful a season. Granted, Shepard only found the end zone twice after scoring eight times his rookie year, but the offense, as a whole, was a mess. Shepard, himself, suffered an ankle sprain in August, and he could do nothing but watch as both Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall were lost to injuries in October.

Shepard ended the season with 59 receptions, but he was sidelined for multiple games due to migraines. “It’s like I was stuck in a hangover plus a headache,” Shepard explained when discussing the pain he felt to reporters, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I was just feeling terrible. It was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me.” In total, he appeared in 11 contests.

This past July ahead of preseason games, dreaming of Shepard potentially winning Comeback Player of the Year honors while featuring in a new-look New York offense provided enjoyment, and it passed the time while others focussed on the team’s questionable offensive line or a pass defense that isn’t necessarily filling diehard fans with confidence entering September. Don’t look now, but Shepard has raised eyes with positive performances throughout the past month.

Most notably, Shepard was a favorite target of quarterback Eli Manning during the team’s “dress rehearsal” exhibition game versus the New York Jets. Shepard caught all seven passes thrown his way, the longest a 30-yard gain, and he ended that contest with 78 yards. Best of all, Shepard walked off the field healthy and, presumably, ready for Week 1.

It’s easy to forget Shepard averaged a score every other game in 2016 because so much has happened since he dropped what should have been a touchdown pass during the playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. Shurmur could be the perfect offensive mind to guide Shepard higher in that category, largely because defenses can only match-up against a certain amount of weapons per formation.

All eyes will be on rookie running back Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick who has the talent and physical attributes to earn Pro Bowl votes his first year in the league. Beckham needs no introduction. Now that he’s received a deserved contract extension, he’ll have some extra motivation to prove doubters wrong and also put his disappointing 2017 behind him. Tight end Evan Engram remains a lengthy red-zone target who should build upon his rookie campaign. Cody Latimer will fight for snaps and looks.

As Mike Tagliere of FantasyPros recently wrote, Shepard may thrive unlike ever before under Shurmur:

"Pat Shurmur did wonders for Adam Thielen’s career while working out of the slot, which is where Shepard has played over 80 percent of his snaps the last two years. He’s going to give you WR4 production regardless, but has upside for much more."

As does any good quarterback, Manning will want to keep Beckham happy early and often starting in the opening week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two-time Super Bowl MVP also hasn’t been shy about spreading the love over the past decade.

He helped Steve Smith develop from just a guy in the passing game into a true No. 1 wide receiver. Manning made Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz stars. The chemistry between he and Shepard should be better than ever during the final days of August.

For Shepard to reach his ceiling, fortune that abandoned the Giants locker room before last preseason must smile upon the roster this time around. This includes the offensive line protecting Manning, playmakers remaining healthy and Barkley being what so many believe he’ll be. Shepard won’t steal back-page headlines, nor will he win you your fantasy championships. He could, however, be a key figure in the Giants returning to the postseason during Manning’s final months as the franchise’s starting signal-caller.