2016 NFL Draft Analysis for Fantasy Football - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard

Position, Team, NFL Draft Spot: WR, New York Giants, 2.09

Dynasty Positional Rank: 24

Redraft Target Round: Early to mid-round selection

Analysis: The top four wide receivers were selected in the first round, but there was still plenty of talent at the position left in the draft. Big names, such as Mike Thom and Braxton Miller, were still available in the draft, but the Giants had another option ranked higher on their board. Early in the second round, they selected Sterling Shepard, which was a shocking pick to a few people.

It would be surprising if the Giants did not work to get Shepard on the field for the start of the season. He has the ability to return the ball, but he did not do much of that in college. He is going to primarily be a slot receiver in the NFL. He has elite quickness and great hands. Those are two necessities to be a successful NFL slot receiver. He also has great knowledge of route running, which will make for a smooth transition and reduce Shepard’s learning curve. He proved he can handle a heavy workload, as he recorded 86 catches for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior year at Oklahoma. He’ll be behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz to start the season, but the Giants have thrown the ball over 600 times in each of the last two seasons, and there will be plenty of targets to go around. Shepard could have the most value of all the rookie receivers in re-draft leagues.

Shepard is never going to be a number one receiver in the NFL, especially with Odell Beckham Jr. ahead of him on the depth chart. He does have the potential to become an elite slot receiver, though, which could be just as valuable in PPR leagues. The Giants have a lot of question marks at receiver, and Shepard could take over this season without looking back for the next 10 years. The Giants love throwing the ball, and Shepard is a wide receiver that I could see catching 80+ balls in a season more often than not during his professional career. Combining Shepard’s skills with his fit in the Giants offense, he’s a tremendous PPR receiver in dynasty leagues.