Welcome to Week 9 of the 2022 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. Topics are now split into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- For Real-Fool's Gold (see below)
- Second-Half Slump Candidates
- Wounded Wide Outs
- Zach Wilson's Future
For Real-Fool's Gold
Matt Waldman: For redraft PPR formats, assess the validity of these three potential fantasy options for the rest of the year.
- WanDale Robinson
- Darius Slayton
- Parris Campbell
For real or Fool's Gold?
Andy Hicks: There isn’t enough evidence, either way, to decide this Robinson yet...
Waldman: C'mon Andy, you know the game. Don't make me put my neighbor's son's Nerf gun to your head.
Hicks: An interrupted rookie season and signs of life against the Ravens and Jaguars, if forced, put me in the for-real category. He has the opportunity, fitness pending, and is a nice guy to have stashed away in case he is for real.
Waldman: Thank you. What about Slayton and Campbell?
Hicks: It has been a bumpy ride, but through injury to others, Slayton looks poised to return to the form he displayed in his first two years with the Giants. At least six targets in three of his last four appearances trend well for Slayton to be a third or fourth option for fantasy managers heading toward their playoffs.
There are two reasons I cannot get on board with Campbell. His injury list and his quarterback situation. Now in his fourth year, Parris Campbell has seen a promising career cut short by injuries since his entry into the NFL. I have no confidence another one won't happen soon. Against the Jaguars and Titans, he saw his first career games with at least 10 targets. The move away from Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger saw that drop to two targets.
Ryan Weisse: I'm going to lump Robinson and Slayton together and say they are For Real. While I'm not bought into the talent, sometimes the best ability is availability, and the two of them have turned that into starting jobs. To be clear, since Week 6, Slayton is the WR34, and Robinson ranks as the WR40. They are the best options in this offense, but they will remain inconsistent as long as the Giants can run with Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. They are For Real Flex options in fantasy and best used for bye weeks. Robinson looks like he could be a volume-based safety option, best for full PPR formats, while Slayton is a deep-ball threat with the ability to score a big touchdown in any given week.
Campbell, when healthy, is For Real. With 25 targets since Week 6, we're seeing the type of high-volume role most envisioned for Campbell; he just couldn't stay on the field. There was a point last season that comparisons were being drawn between Keenan Allen and Campbell's roles. That is a ways away, but these signs of life are positive. Even in Week 8, when his volume took a step back with Sam Ehlinger, he broke one big pass play and took a carry for 28 yards. If nine fantasy points are his floor, he is a great third option for most fantasy teams. Unfortunately, the words "when healthy" will be tied to his name for a long time, and we just have to hope for the best.
Ben Cummins: Robinson’s slot role is locked In, and he’ll be a valuable PPR cheat code for the rest of the season. Slayton has taken over for David Sills as a starting outside wide receiver and will remain a starter for the rest of the season. Campbell’s stock took a hit when the immobile Matt Ryan was benched for the mobile Sam Ehlinger.
Chad Parsons: I am bullish on Robinson for the rest of this season. Mainly, his market share is a good bet with Kadarius Toney gone, Sterling Shepard on the shelf, and Kenny Golladay tough to trust even if healthy. is third for intrigue on the Colts' wide receiver depth chart with Alec Pierce showing well early.
Waldman: Nothing for Slayton.
Parsons:
Waldman: Bueller...
Bueller...
I'll take that silence as Fool's Gold.
Gary Davenport: Robinson is hardly a sure thing, but there have been flashes. The Giants badly need someone to become something resembling a No. 1 receiver. Why not the kid?
Are we really doing this again? Slayton is Lucy holding out a football. Promising to let us kick that bad boy this time. But as soon as we get up a head of steam and charge ahead, YANK! —we're flat on our fantasy backs.
Of this trio of young wideouts, Campbell is likely the most talented. He's similar to Curtis Samuel in that it was never about ability—it was about availability. Knock on wood, he's healthy now—and the Colts need a player who can turn Sam Ehlinger dump-offs into long gains.
Jeff Haseley: Robinson is for real. The Giants receiving corps is centered around Robinson and Darius Slayton, with Marcus Johnson picking up some targets as well. Slayton may be getting more looks and targets now, but Robinson's time is coming. I feel he will emerge as the fantasy receiver we should lean on in New York.
Slayton is fool's gold. Slayton has looked the part recently, but I feel that is going to change as Robinson continues to develop. The Giants decided to move on from Kadarius Toney because they like what they see in Robinson. Slayton is now the grizzled vet who can play a role, but I don't see him being in a featured role like Robinson can.
Campbell is fool's gold. Sam Ehlinger probably is not a 35+ pass attempt quarterback, and the Colts' offense is fizzling as we speak. Michael Pittman might struggle to have weekly fantasy appeal in this offense now, let alone Campbell. Even if Campbell has some success, can we rely on him every week for fantasy purposes? Likely not. And for that reason, I'm out.
Sam Wagman: I've really grown to like Robinson over the course of the year. He's shown to be electric with the ball in his hands, and with virtually zero Giants' receivers healthy except for Darius Slayton, I like him to lead the wide receiver room the rest of the season.
Speaking of Slayton, he comes in next for me on this list as he has become the deep threat for this Giants' offense. The only problem is he has a small floor. Daniel Jones does not throw deep very often, and Slayton's hands are not the greatest.
Campbell ranks third on this list as the switch to Sam Ehlinger makes me feel like this passing offense will not be as volume-heavy as when Matt Ryan was running it. Alec Pierce seems to have overtaken Campbell as the WR2.
Waldman: I'm going against all of you on Robinson. He's a small slot player who doesn't position himself as well at the catch point as the top receivers of his approximate height have to compensate for being short and small. And Robinson is small, too. Unless offenses can come up with ways to consistently beat two-high shells with slot receivers, and I think that's unlikely, I think every team that has recently invested in a small slot receiver or is about to invest in one will regret it because the league may wind up returning to big slots who can block, tight ends, and fullbacks to support the ground game against undersized nickel defenses.
Robinson won't be consistent enough this year to merit consideration beyond a small handful of matchups, and his highs won't be high enough to compensate for the lows.
Slayton's hands remain an issue at times, but he positions himself well at the catch point and has earned enough targets in the short and intermediate game to feel confident about him as a bye-week option or desperation flex play. For this year, I'll say he's for real.
I studied Sam Ehlinger's debut. He was better in the pocket than Matt Ryan and threw the ball effectively downfield when they threw it. The biggest difference will be the lack of sight adjustments that Ehlinger will make and a likely increase of schemed plays designed to go to one player in the way we see these designs with Jalen Hurts and Trevor Lawrence.
With Nyheim Hines in Buffalo, expect to see even more of the jet sweeps to Campbell that we saw twice last week, including two quality games from them. What many missed from the box score was Ehlinger's ability to climb the pocket away from blindside pressure and his vertical accuracy, including a likely touchdown to Campbell 45 yards downfield if not for a defensive pass interference penalty.
Ehlinger finds Campbell for deep shot. DPI drawn. #Colts pic.twitter.com/EkFkuTlJaA
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) October 31, 2022
I'm feeling Gary's reticence about injury, and it's a legitimate fear. Ehlinger will likely be tested by season's end as the NFL develops a book on him (see the Zach Wilson topic for a detailed explanation), but for the next 4-6 weeks, I'm willing to say Campbell is the most likely option to remain for real.
If you'd like to see the rest of the topics, once again, you can find them here:
Thanks, and good luck this week!
