Fantasy Football Impact of Tyrod Taylor Starting | Which Other Giants Can You Start in Week 17?

The New York Giants have decided to make another quarterback change. Tyrod Taylor will take over for Tommy DeVito.

Let’s discuss what the change means for fantasy football start/sit decisions in week 17.

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Taylor over DeVito

DeVito enjoyed a solid run as the team’s starting quarterback. The team went 3-3 in his six starts and he’s thrown eight touchdowns to three interceptions over his eight games overall.

DeVito had a strong three-game stretch from weeks 11-13, when he threw five touchdowns to no interceptions, and also rushed for 84 yards on 16 attempts.

In the two games since, DeVito had 232 passing yards and 41 rushing yards, while not scoring a touchdown or throwing an interception.

He was replaced in week 16 by Taylor, and after the veteran looked pretty solid, he’ll get the start in week 17.

Taylor has appeared in nine games this season, with the team going 1-2 in his previous three starts.

Taylor has three touchdown passes to one interception on the season, while completing 61.7% of his passes and accumulating 725 passing yards. He’s added 119 rushing yards on 24 attempts.

Over his career, Taylor has thrown 63 touchdowns to 27 interceptions. His teams are 27-27-1 in his 56 starts, which explains a bit of why he isn’t a permanent starting quarterback for some franchise.

Giants’ Fantasy Outlooks

The Giants will try to play spoiler the next couple weeks. In week 17, New York will take on the surging Los Angeles Rams.

That’s a favorable matchup on paper for Taylor, as the Rams’ defense allows opposing quarterbacks to score 19 fantasy points per week. 

Saquon Barkley is clearly the workhorse in the backfield for the Giants. He’s gone over 20 touches twice in the past three games and scored three times over that span. Barkley just went for 80 rushing yards against a very tough Philadelphia Eagles’ defense.

The Rams’ defense is right on line with the Eagles, only allowing opposing backs to score 19 fantasy points per week.

The Giants don’t have a true go-to guy in the passing game. Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darren Waller, Jalin Hyatt, Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell and Daniel Bellinger all have between 24-66 targets this season.

With Taylor playing a decent amount in week 16, it makes sense to look at the pass catchers who led the way in that game. 

Robinson had seven targets, but just three grabs for 16 yards. Bellinger made four grabs on five targets, going for 43 yards. Waller made a pair of catches on five targets for 32 yards. Slayton was the only other guy targeted, making three grabs on as many targets for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams’ defense allows opposing TEs to score 14 fantasy points per week, while opposing WRs go for 35 points.

Who to Start in Week 17

Barkley, Robinson and Waller were all limited participants in the team’s first practice of the week, so their status should be monitored as the week progresses. I’d guess all three are able to suit up against the Rams.

With some of the quarterback changes and injuries around the leagues, there’s a chance that some fantasy owners are streaming their starting quarterback for the championship round. Taylor isn’t too bad of an option, and his matchup is pretty favorable. Of course, you should only be starting him if there’s no other options, but I think he’s got a chance to finish as an average (or better) fantasy QB.

Barkley is a guy I’d lean toward starting, even in his tougher matchup. He’s going to be heavily involved again, and I think he’s got the best chance of scoring for the Giants’ offense. If he can’t make a difference in the run game, he should get some work in the passing game.

The Giants’ pass catchers are ones I’ve tried to avoid most of the season. This week is the same.

If I had to start one, I’d try Slayton based on what we saw last week. Robinson is a starting option in deeper formats, but he’s too big of a boom-or-bust guy for my liking. Waller has been unimpressive all season, so even though he’s capable of great fantasy outings, I don’t see one happening this week - Waller is a pretty solid starting option in deeper formats, however.