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The New York Giants may have traded wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason, but they showed a great deal of commitment to fellow wide out Sterling Shepard, signing him to a four-year contract extension.
With Beckham now out of the picture, Shepard takes center stage in the Giants' passing game, as New York is clearly expecting big things from him going forward.
The 26-year-old is coming off of the best season of his NFL career, as he hauled in 66 receptions for 872 yards and four touchdowns as the No. 2 receiver behind Beckham.
So, what should Fantasy Football players anticipate from Shepard going into 2019?
Well, we do need to keep in mind that it's not like Shepard is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver for the Giants right now. Remember, New York signed Golden Tate shortly after trading Beckham, and given Tate's experience and track record, the Giants are likely not just going to hand over the No. 1 job to Shepard. He is going to have to earn it.
But, Shepard did have a better year than the aging Tate in 2018, so perhaps he has the inside track to the top wide out spot.
It is debatable, though, whether or not Shepard truly has it in him to be a No. 1 receiver.
He has certainly shown flashes of his potential, and in his senior year at Oklahoma, he racked up 86 catches for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns, so he has been a No. 1 wide out before.
But can he do it on the NFL level?
The biggest problem facing Shepard heading into 2019 is the Giants' quarterback situation and offensive line. While it seems almost a definite that Eli Manning will be the starter going into the season, will there come a point where New York decides to thrust rookie Daniel Jones out there?
The Giants almost surely won't be contending for anything other than a high first-round draft pick, so if Big Blue is already out of playoff contention by midseason, it would not be a surprise to see New York give Jones a shot under center, as he is obviously the quarterback of the future.
If that happens, Shepard will not only have to adjust to a new signal-caller throwing him the football, but the Giants' entire offense would almost certainly change, as Jones would likely not be given the same type of freedom as Manning.
Also, New York's offensive line has been a big issue for a few years now, and the Giants' offense has suffered as a whole as a result. That alone could knock down Shepard's numbers.
Finally, we all know that Saquon Barkley is the best player in New York's offense and that things will be focused around him.
In that case, what is a realistic prediction for Shepard?
Let me start by saying that 1,000 yards is not out of the realm of possibility, as he totaled just under 900 as the No. 2 receiver in 2018, but it's also not a given.
Shepard and Tate will likely split targets, and while Shepard will surely receive more than the 107 targets he did in 2018, he probably won't be a breakaway No. 1 receiver in the offense.
Also, at 5-foot-10, Shepard is not a big-time red zone threat, so he probably won't be racking up touchdowns, especially in a lackluster offense overall.
Expect something like 75 catches for close to 1,000 yards and six or seven touchdowns for Shepard in 2019. He could very well top those numbers and go for something like 80 catches and 1,100 yards, but the former is more realistic.
Think of Shepard as a solid No. 2 or very high-end No. 3 receiver in fantasy leagues, but there are certainly better No. 1 guys out there.
