Hidden Gems in Big Blue: 2 Under-the-Radar Giants Named 'Must-Have' Fantasy Football Sleepers

As the summer arrives and the countdown to NFL training camps officially begins, so too does the research and anticipation for annual preseason drafts by fantasy football gurus everywhere.

Most experienced fantasy team managers know that the key to a successful draft is about more than landing a few big fish at the top of the board to lead their lineup throughout the season.

The bigger question they tend to seek an answer for is which deeper selections will be the difference-makers in leading their squad over the hump to a championship.

Bleacher Report just came out with a shortlist of 10 must-have players for fantasy football leagues this fall, and among the names they believe in are two key members of the New York Giants roster who might not be getting the attention they deserve entering the 2026 season.

One who was on the fast track to being an impactful first-year player last season, and a second whose new opportunity could turn him into a newfound star at his position.

Cam Skattebo Bracing to Return to Giants' Rushing Throne

Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) participates in drills during the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

The first of the two Giants offensive weapons on B/R analyst Gary Davenport’s list was second-year running back Cam Skattebo, who quickly surprised Giants fans and fantasy managers alike with his early control of the team’s rushing rotation in 2025.

“Cam Skattebo came roaring out of the gate once he entered the starting lineup for the New York Giants,” Davenport said.

“Over a month-long stint as the clear starter for Big Blue, he was a top-10 PPR back. An ankle injury cut Skattebo’s first season short, but he’s expected to be a full-go for Week 1.

“It’s not an especially difficult calculus. Touches equal opportunities for fantasy production, and there should be no shortage of those touches in 2026 [for Skattebo], both as a rusher and receiver.”

Seeing Skattebo get involved in the Giants offense shouldn’t have been as much of a stunner given the type of physical player he showed himself to be in college.

He authored two seasons with over 1,300 yards and 28 combined touchdowns on the ground during his stints at Sacramento State and Arizona State. His efforts weren’t limited to the rushing realm either, averaging 12.4 yards on 112 receptions and eight scores as a passing target in the same span.

With his relentless desire to scrap up every gritty yard he can get, Skattebo was seen as the type of guy who would put the team on his shoulders on every down, and he certainly did that for the Giants at an alarming rate.

In his first four starts after taking over from Tyrone Tracy, who was injured, he ran the ball at least 15 times while netting over 60 yards three times and over five yards per carry twice. He added to that as a short-range receiver with an average of 6.0 yards or greater in three of those same contests and was great at shedding tacklers in his wake.

It also helped that the Giants’ running backs finally had the benefit of a good offensive line to break open their rushing lanes, but having Skattebo as that rare tone setter certainly made a difference in them becoming a top-five unit by the end of the season and drawing attention from the outside.

The potential fantasy impact might have been discovered a bit too late, as Skattebo soon suffered his ankle injury in Week 8 and missed the rest of his rookie debut. A promising return this offseason sets up an interesting decision for the Giants on whether he will have to earn the starting job back from Tyrone Tracy, who is chasing history in his third season.

John Harbaugh wants to set up his offense with an old-school style of running that beats up opponents with physicality on early downs, and he has two perfect weapons for that mission in Skattebo and veteran fullback Patrick Ricard, who joined him from Baltimore to add an extra layer of blocking.

Skattebo could end up earning the nod because of that element of Harbaugh’s system. If the reps play out where he is the early down, short-yardage and near-the-goal-line weapon for the Giants, the second-year back’s fantasy potential will soar and not be slept on as late as it did last year.

Isaiah Likely: Becoming the New Man

New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

New tight end Isaiah Likely rounded out the two members of Big Blue on the list, and given the latest opportunity he has been granted by joining the organization, he should be one of the sneakiest fantasy candidates to grab in the later rounds when the position pool seems dried up.

In recent seasons, Likely wasn’t making it to the top of the tight end market, and that was largely due to him playing second fiddle to his former elder teammate in Mark Andrews in Baltimore, who had outpaced him in receiving targets each of his four years with the franchise.

The result for Likely has been no season with greater than 60 targets (42 catches) for 477 yards and just two seasons with five or more touchdowns, as he was relegated to more blocking work within the Ravens offense.

Having finally entered the free agent market for the first time in his career, Likely knew he needed a new home to reach his highest potential, and John Harbaugh, whom he is reunited with in East Rutherford, knew right away the Giants needed to sign him to elevate their offensive power.

The Giants are heading into the 2026 season weakened at the wide receiver position after a few offseason injuries, and Malik Nabers’ timeline to return from his ACL injury may be pushed back beyond Week 1.

They also lost Wan’Dale Robinson, who became last year’s unexpected hero and most reliable target for quarterback Jaxson Dart, to a hefty payday from the Tennessee Titans in free agency, leaving New York with almost no highly capable options to bring some explosiveness to the huddle.

Likely, who will be Dart’s biggest pass catcher at 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds, has the exact skill set that the Giants have missed from their current unit, including sharp hands on contested catches (he caught two-thirds of his big-time targets in 2025) and proficient route running, to fill that role.

If the team gets through training camp and Likely shines as the No. 1 guy in the tight end room, he will likely become Dart’s favorite weapon to get the aerial attack gelling at the start of games and then testing the vertical realm when key possessions are on the line.

One can’t forget that the Giants have another tight end, Theo Johnson, who can also stretch the field and serve as a decoy to confuse defenses, allowing Likely to create more damage after the catch (a total of 669 yards after the catch since 2023).

That was a key feature of their 2025 offensive strategy, when they used multiple tight ends on approximately 50% of their snaps. That put them among the top 10 teams in the NFL, marking a huge uptick from the previous season.

Without enough experienced threats in their arsenal, it could become even more prevalent for offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s offense to connect Dart with his two athletic tight ends.

Like with Skattebo, more targets and deep range completions will equal more production on the scoreboard for the Giants and more underrated fantasy value for team owners who strike on Likely while he is on the board.

It all sets up one of the potentially exciting elements of the Giants offense as the season approaches–finally having a secret weapon that hasn’t been unleashed enough but will turn their huddle into a more respected unit across the league that can punch in the end zone with the best of them.

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