Fantasy Football Disappointment: New York Giants’ Brandon Myers

Brandon Myers

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants fans and fantasy football owners had every reason to feel optimistic about Brandon Myers‘ prospects in the 2013 NFL season.

Myers’s potential came to fruition last season after three years flying distinctly under the radar. He led the Oakland Raiders in receptions (79) on his way to a career-best 806 receiving yards and four touchdowns, although it wasn’t until Week 13 that people really started to sit up and take notice after a 130-yard and one-touchdown outing against the Cleveland Browns.

Related: Fantasy Football Projections: New York Giants vs. Chicago Bears

These stellar figures were enough to rank him 10th overall among tight ends in fantasy points last season (based on NFL.com standard scoring).

During the 2013 offseason, Myers switched coasts to join up with the Giants in a move that seemed ideal for both parties. The usage of the tight end has been integral in the Giants’ offense for some years now and provides a safety net for quarterback Eli Manning.

After breaking out in Oakland in 2012, Myers seemed the ideal candidate to replace Martellus Bennett, who was second in receptions with a useful 626 yards and five touchdowns in his lone season with the G-Men. Jake Ballard did the business in the Super Bowl-winning season of 2011 with 604 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season, while Kevin Boss also registered five scores in his final year in the Big Apple in 2010.

You wouldn’t have found Myers as a free agent in many fantasy leagues at the beginning of the 2013 season; his competence in his position, coupled with the Giants’ passing offense, made him at very least a respectable backup candidate. And Myers opened the season in some style, reassuring those who had shown the faith to draft him with a 12.60-point outing after 66 yards and a touchdown vs. Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.

The tight end did not register a six-pointer in Week 2, but still managed a useful 74 receiving yard outing. Unfortunately, there has been little production since. After 13 receptions in his opening two games for the Big Blue, Myers has amassed just five in his three games since, including a total blank in Week 4.

With Myers’ fantasy fortunes appearing to be relative to the Giants’ lack of success, he is now owned in just 69.3 percent of leagues.

The Giants could certainly do with Myers stepping up as a simple and secure option in the passing game, if not for any other reason than to stop Eli Manning from tossing up picks on more risky routes to his wide receivers. A Week 6 matchup against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football is where he must begin to do so in what is ultimately the last chance the Giants.

Injury issues at running back could see Eli take to the skies more often in the coming weeks, and his chances are looking up against a Bears defense that currently ranks 24th against the pass. Although the Bears have only given up one touchdown to tight ends so far this season, they have allowed the second-most receptions to the position, providing an ideal opportunity for Myers to get back on track.

We are at a pivotal point in the season — the Giants must decide whether they sink or swim, while Myers must seize the opportunity to prevent himself from being labelled a ‘one-season wonder’ of the much-loved fantasy game.

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