Larry Donnell

Week 2 vs. New Orleans

Larry Donnell had only one catch last week against the Cowboys, but it was a 15-yard touchdown reception. Donnell split snaps with Will Tye 55 percent to 45 percent, with Donnell getting the edge, but with that likely to continue throughout the season, Donnell is a bit risky.

He has some upside this week against a terrible Saints defense. But he was only targeted twice last week, and only once the last time he faced the Saints – and that was in a shoot-out. He’s simply too risky at this point to trust and fantasy owners in most leagues should look elsewhere.

Fantasy Upside
Larry Donnell had a strong 2014 season with 623 yards and six touchdowns, but injuries hurt him last year. At 6-foot-6 he remains a big target with red zone potential and he has the athleticism to be a top producer at the tight end position. The Giants have historically made use of their tight ends, making good fantasy producers out of seemingly whoever they put in the position since Eli Manning has been there. Donnell has looked healthy in camp, so assuming he’s back from injury, if he can win the starting job back from Will Tye, he has upside as a TE1.

Fantasy Downside
Tye was more consistent than Donnell was last year and he finished the season strong with three touchdowns in the final four games. Donnell only had two touchdowns in eight games before missing the rest of the season with a neck injury and he was on pace for only 446 yards, a noticeable decrease from his break out 2014 year. Donnell could find himself in a time-share with Tye at best, or a straight backup at worst, making him a risky option for fantasy owners.

2016 Bottom Line
Donnell still has value as a bench guy in dynasty leagues, but outside of that, fantasy owners are probably better off waiting on the Giants tight end situation and plucking the eventual starter off waivers at a later time. If Donnell and Tye share time, it will hurt both players and there are just too many quality tight ends ahead of them to warrant draft consideration.

Week 7 at New Orleans
Larry Donnell caught four of the five passes thrown his way against Dallas last week, but he wound up with just 18 yards. He has only two touchdowns and 28 receptions all season and isn't a legitimate fantasy option from week-to-week. He has some upside against a soft Saints pass defense this week, but he’s far too risky for fantasy owners to rely on.