Jayden Daniels is back. Dan Quinn said Friday that his quarterback is "good to go" for Sunday's game against the Giants at Northwest Stadium. Daniels practiced fully all week after missing two games with a dislocated left elbow, which he suffered on the last play of the first half of the Week 2 loss to Dallas. He will wear a brace on his non-throwing arm, and that brace is expected to stay on for the rest of the season.
That is good news for fantasy managers. The matchup is less friendly than it looks. The Giants are not giving up passing yards in bulk. Through four games they have allowed 849 passing yards, the seventh-fewest in the NFL. Only the Patriots, Jets, Packers, Bears, Seahawks and Rams have allowed fewer. Opponents are completing 64.7 percent of their passes against New York, and the Giants have six interceptions. That ties them with Jacksonville and Seattle for the league lead.
Most of that yardage came in one game. The Rams threw for 327 yards in a 28-6 win over New York in Week 2. In their other three games, the Giants allowed 175 passing yards to Dallas, 181 to Tennessee and 166 to Arizona, and they won all three. Last Sunday's 36-24 win over the Cardinals ended with Deonte Banks returning an interception 98 yards for a touchdown. Jacoby Brissett threw three picks that day, and rookie linebacker Arvell Reese caught the first interception of his career. Next Gen Stats, as cited by the team, had New York blitzing on 54 percent of snaps and playing man coverage on 56 percent, both season highs. Arizona's wide receivers finished with eight catches for 107 yards.
The weaknesses are real, though they are not where the yardage totals point. The Giants have allowed nine passing touchdowns, tied for the sixth-most in the league, so drives that reach the red zone against them often end in the end zone. The pass rush also lost its best player. Brian Burns tore his ACL in the Week 3 win over Tennessee and is out for the season. Abdul Carter made up much of the difference against Arizona, with a career-high nine pressures on 37 pass rushes. Still, one strong game without Burns does not tell us how the rush will hold up over a full season.
Daniels may be the kind of quarterback who can take advantage of a defense that blitzes this often, because his legs count for as much as his arm. Before he got hurt against Dallas, he had 96 passing yards and 69 rushing yards in one half. Earlier reports said Washington may limit his designed runs as he comes back from the elbow injury. Managers should watch for that, because rushing is a big part of his fantasy value. He is also 3-0 in his career against the Giants.
His receivers are thin this week. Stefon Diggs is out with a hamstring injury. Terry McLaurin is expected to be questionable with a hamstring injury of his own, though Quinn said McLaurin "looked really good" Friday and the team will decide on him closer to kickoff. If McLaurin plays, he should see a lot of targets, since Washington has few other proven receivers healthy. If he sits, Daniels will be throwing to a group with little experience together. Running back Rachaad White (shoulder) and right tackle Sam Cosmi (concussion, throat) are both expected to play, which helps the run game and pass protection.
The weather could also cut into the passing game. The forecast calls for rain and wind, and Rotoworld projects Daniels as a mid-to-low-end QB1 this week. That is a reasonable range. Washington is 1-3. Marcus Mariota has a sprained MCL, and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis started the loss to Indianapolis, so the offense needs Daniels badly.
Start Daniels with confidence, but set your expectations by the actual numbers. This Giants defense has been tough to throw on outside of one bad afternoon in Los Angeles, it takes the ball away, and it still put up a strong game without Burns. Daniels' upside comes from his rushing and from a defense that has given up touchdowns, not from a weak secondary. McLaurin is a strong start if he is active. Beyond him, Washington's receivers are risky plays until the injury report clears.