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Only two games have a higher O/U total this week other than the Giants vs. Redskins. It is currently at 49 points, with New York edging Washington by an implied mere three points. If the Giants really want to win this game, they’ll have to do it without Saquon Barkley (injured) and with Daniel Jones at the helm. Other than those two key pieces (one lost, the other one definitely alive and well), only Shepard and Engram have done real damage in the Giants receiving corps. Among the team’s receivers, only Bennie Fowler (18) has more targets than Shepard (16), but the latter has 142 yards and a touchdown already in comparison to Fowler’s 96 yards.
We all knew New York was going to struggle at least to start the season, both because of injuries, lack of depth, Eli Manning, etc. Only three weeks into the year, Daniel Jones replaced Manning and things couldn’t look better. In that Week 3 game against the Buccaneers, Shepard was able to haul in seven of nine targets for 100 yards and his lone score on the season, carrying the ball two times for a surprising extra 21 yards. As always, only Engram out-targeted the wideout and Shepard’s concussion suffered in Week 1 — which kept him out in Week 2 — seems to now be in his rearview mirror.
Fantasy Impact: In such a game as a Giants vs. Redskins is — a no-defense, all-offense affair — Shepard profiles as a go-to player for Jones and a sure bet to rack up fantasy points along the way. The third best total of the slate, at no less than 49 points, is no joke. With the Giants expected to put around 26 points, there will be a lot of scoring chances to share among receivers, though only Engram should be a threat at taking points from Shepard. Washington has allowed more WR touchdowns than the Dolphins, so you can get an idea of how bad things are going for the Redskins.
Recommendation: Start