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It can sometimes be tricky trying to decipher whether or not a certain rookie player is going to be worth taking in fantasy football drafts. There aren't numbers to go off from a previous season in the NFL and some teams choose to deploy rookies differently than others.
Amid all the uncertainty, Wan'Dale Robinson of the New York Giants appears to be a wide receiver that is going overlooked in drafts. Robinson was taken in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft with the 43rd overall pick out of Kentucky.
The Giants hired Brian Daboll as their next head coach this offseason after he helped the Buffalo Bills develop into one of the best offensive units in the NFL. Daniel Jones has seen some popularity as a late-round target, Saquon Barkley is expected to return to RB1 form, but what about Robinson?
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Wan'Dale Robinson 2022 Fantasy Outlook for Giants
When the Giants began their training camp practices at the end of last month, many were curious to see whether or not Robinson would be running with the starters.
It was quickly discovered that Robinson was beginning training camp as the starting slot receiver, replacing Sterling Shepard (who began training camp on the PUP list).
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Since the start of training camp, Robinson has drawn nothing but rave reviews from coaches and players. The Giants have deployed Robinson in a variety of ways, even using him out of the backfield in certain packages.
While it remains to be seen if Robinson is truly used as a gadget player out of the backfield, we can trust him to excel in the slot.
Shepard has dealt with a fair amount of injuries in recent years and Robinson hasn't done anything to indicate that he won't be a starter when the season begins.
With Daboll arriving from Buffalo, the usage of the team's slot wide receiver should grow exponentially. During his tenure with the Bills as the team's offensive coordinator, Cole Beasley was a focal point in the passing attack out of the slot.
In his three seasons with the Bills and Daboll, Beasley averaged 77 receptions, 813 receiving yards, and three touchdowns per season.
The good news for Daboll is that Robinson is slightly taller and bulkier than Beasley, so he can do more with the rookie wideout in New York's offense. There is certainly a scenario where Robinson could emerge as Jones' favorite target out of the slot this season.
Is Wan'Dale Robinson A Fantasy Football Sleeper?
Despite Robinson seeing his ADP rise a little bit since the start of training camp, he still has an ADP of 220.24, according to RotoBaller's FFPC ADP reports.
This puts him in the same range as wide receivers like Robbie Anderson, Sammy Watkins, George Pickens, and Parris Campbell.
Robinson could see the field the most out of the names mentioned above and he could be in a fantasy-friendly offense with the hiring of Daboll. The Giants could look to put the ball in the air more with them hoping to see improvements in Jones' game at the quarterback position.
After spending the first two years of college at Nebraska, Robinson transferred to Kentucky in 2021, where he would tally 104 receptions, 1,334 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns.
Robinson was in the 99th percentile for college target share and the 95th percentile in breakout age (courtesy of PlayerProfiler), so there is room for plenty of growth in his game moving forward.
When looking for a sleeper at wide receiver, we want players that can severely exceed expectations. Even with other capable wide receivers on the Giants, there is unquestionably a path for Robinson to return massive value at his current ADP.
Wan'Dale Robinson Fantasy Football Outlook
There has been a debate all offseason in the fantasy football community on who will be the leading wideout on the Giants. Kenny Golladay is entering his second year with the team after disappointing in 2021 and Kadarius Toney has received a ton of hype in his sophomore campaign.
That being said, a scenario where Robinson leads the team in targets is certainly within the realm of possibility, especially with him operating out of the slot.
Daboll likely wants Jones to be better at taking care of the football, which could lead to more intermediate or efficient passes to the slot.
Besides his ability to dominate the intermediate part of the field, Robinson has shown he can effective on deeper throws.
With that in mind, if the Giants want to push the ball down the field more with Jones at the helm, Robinson will still have plenty of opportunities to produce.
Even if the offense of the Giants doesn't show much improvement this season, Robinson doesn't carry many risks due to his late-round ADP. Meanwhile, if New York's offense hits the ground running, the first-year wideout out of Kentucky could be a primary reason why.
We're looking for upside when considering late-round players and Robinson does present a ton of upside at the wide receiver position. Among all of the late-round wide receivers in fantasy football, people should stop overlooking Robinson in every format.
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