The days just fly by so fast, don’t they? How are we already onto Week 2 of the NFL season? I sure hope the whole season doesn’t fly by like this because if the rest of the weeks are as exciting as Week 1 was, we’re in for one heck of a season. 

Of course, the momentum might be getting clipped with tonight’s match-up between the New York Giants and the Washington Football Team. It’s an obvious rivalry game so it could have some featured highlights, but both clubs are limping into this one. Washington lost quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a hip injury so Taylor Heinicke will be under center and Saquon Barkley still doesn’t seem to be 100-percent. He is expected to play, but to what extent? Losing a marquee player like that certainly takes some of the luster off this game.

Now before we begin, please take a moment to understand what exactly you are getting yourself into by playing single-game Showdown Slates. We love to have some skin in the game, for sure, but these slates are, for all intents and purposes, a lottery ticket. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but, more often than not, you need to hit on that random dart-throw that differentiates your lineup from that of the herd in order to claim the top prize. As a result, we encourage you to play responsibly and not over-invest. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll, and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.

OK. Lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.

New York Giants at Washington Football Team

Spread: Washington -3.5

O/U: 40.5

Weather: Cloudy, low70’s with 20% chance of precipitation; winds blowing ENE at 5 mph

Notable Injuries:

New York Giants

Saquon Barkley, RB – knee (questionable)

Evan Engram, TE – calf (out)

Shane Lemieux, LG – knee (out)

Washington Football Team

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB – hip (out – IR)

Curtis Samuel, WR – groin (out – IR)

DVOA Defensive Rankings

Giants

vs Pass: 22nd 

vs Run: 15th 

Washington

vs Pass: 2nd 

vs Run: 11th 

**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.

MVP/Captain

Antonio Gibson, RB WAS – There was a fleeting concern over Gibson’s shoulder, but that vanished after one practice session on Tuesday and he is good to go. He’s a great volume play and everyone is well-aware of the talk that head coach Ron Rivera and OC Scott Turner are looking to use him in the same way they used Christian McCaffrey back in Carolina. If that can increase the number of targets he sees, he’ll be a must-play each and every week. The Giants run defense might be ranked a bit lower than it should as a 70-yard TD run by Melvin Gordon obviously skews the numbers. Still, Gibson is a great option here, though expect him to be pretty chalky in the captain’s seat.  

Terry McLaurin, WR WAS – Also likely to be a popular captain, but still a great option. McLaurin already has a familiarity with Heinicke and the two should have little to no trouble connecting on a regular basis. McLaurin matches up beautifully against all of the Giants top cover corners and while he may see some double-coverage at times, he’s not going to be held down too much.

Taylor Heinicke, QB WAS – He may be a bit of a contrarian play at the captain spot simply because most would assume a lean on Gibson and the ground game given the change under center and the seemingly soft Giants run defense. But Heinicke isn’t some rookie new to the scene and he should have little trouble leading the Washington offense tonight. I wouldn’t expect a 300-yard effort, but at low ownership, a 260-yard effort with a pair of scores would certainly be helpful.

Mid-Tier

Daniel Jones, QB NYG – With a limited Saquon Barkley (or even no Barkley at all), Jones is likely to be throwing heavily in this one and we could see him rack up points in garbage-time. He’ll likely be running for his life as Chase Young & Co. are going to get the better of this offensive line, so this will be far from smooth sailing, but if he’s throwing heavily and can limit the number of picks, fantasy-wise, the totals could be nice.

Kenny Golladay, WR NYG – After all that preseason angst with Golladay’s hamstring and concerns that it all stemmed from his hip surgery, the wideout made his season debut in Week 1 and hauled in four of his six targets for 64 yards. The match-up isn’t a cake-walk, but Golladay does seem to match up well with Kendall Fuller and Williams Jackson, so expect Jones to be looking for his play-maker often.  

Logan Thomas, TE WAS – Thomas only saw three targets last week with one coming inside the red zone, but this is also a tough match-up with the Giants having Tae Crowder and Blake Martinez in the middle. Thomas was heavily leaned on last season and was the second-most targeted pass-catcher, so if Heinicke is having trouble connecting with McLaurin, he could look to stay with the short-passing game and feed his tight end.

Sterling Shepard, WR NYG – He’s coming off a fantastic Week 1 against Denver and led the team with nine targets as well as 113 receiving yards and a touchdown. If Golladay is traditionally the deep threat, Shepard is the reliable guy who helps move the chains. He can pick up yards after the catch and while Jones is scrambling around the backfield, Shepard always seems to find ways to get open and stay within his quarterback’s field of vision. 

Washington D/ST – They’re likely to rack up sacks galore against the Giants and those sacks, plus the heavy QB-pressures, could lead to a number of turnovers which Jones is prone to on a regular basis. They’ll be a popular choice tonight as well and some might even give them captain consideration.

Dart Throws

Dyami Brown, WR WAS – He’s definitely a player on the rise and someone you should be keeping a watchful eye on as the season progresses. He’s got great speed and offers Heinicke another option to stretch the field. He saw four targets in his debut last week, but we all need to take the lack of results with a grain of salt. He is going to be a star in the NFL and if he gains the trust of his QB and coaches, his time could come sooner than later.

Kaden Smith, TE NYG – While I love Brown as a potential dart-throw, Smith is really the true dart-throw as he is off most people’s radar. But with no Evan Engram, there’s a good chance that it’s Kyle Rudolph tethered to the line to help block while Smith gets released from formation to run the routes. We’ve seen him come through before, so if you’re looking for ways to differentiate yourself from the herd, this is a good place to look. 

Dustin Hopkins, K WAS – The 40.5 over/under could mean we’re going to see a lot of field goals tonight as Heinicke works his way into his starting role. Hopkins can be a reliable leg and Washington should be able to move the ball well against the Giants. If they stall in the red zone, Hopkins with be there. 

Graham Gano, K NYG – Speaking of offenses stalling, you may want to take a look at Gano tonight as the Giants may need to rely on his veteran leg a little more than they would like. Again, a low-scoring affair could mean more field goals.

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