Contract Terms
The New York Giants are giving former Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary a three-year, $16.5 million deal worth up to $19.5 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.
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Fantasy Football Impact
As ESPN.com suggested, Singletary will have big shoes to fill in New York's backfield after former franchise star Saquon Barkley agreed to a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the day.
NFL.com's Eric Edholm notes that Singletary has been a consistent producer since entering the NFL in 2019, helping change the trajectory of the Houston Texans' season in 2023.
Singletary, signed with the Texans on a one-year, $4 million deal after four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, was expected to serve as the backup to 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce, who had totaled 939 rushing yards in 13 games as a rookie.
Pierce, however, suffered an ankle injury in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers and missed three games, providing an opportunity for Singletary, who took over the starting role for the rest of the season.
Working as the starter from Week 9 to Week 18, Singletary rushed for 715 yards, which ranked third in the league over that span.
As Edholm explained, "Singletary gave the Texans' offense a better fit," producing a career-high 1,091 yards from scrimmage, including 898 with four touchdowns on the ground. He caught 30 passes for 193 yards and threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Schultz in a 30-6 victory over the Steelers.
Singletary has averaged 4.6 yards per carry over his 78 career games, with 20 touchdowns. He has also caught 175 passes for 1,164 yards and four TDs.
Now he takes over a Giants backfield with a tremendous need. Last season, Barkley averaged 17.6 carries a game (and nearly three catches a game) over the 14 contests he was on the field. He racked up 962 yards on his 247 carries, good for 3.89 yards per carry. He did that despite running behind an offensive line that ranked 26th as a run-blocking unit in Footballguy Matt Bitonti's 2023 Offensive Line Rankings.
While the Giants will obviously be looking to upgrade this unit, the question remains: Can Singletary fare as well as Barkley, given the circumstances? While it's reasonable to expect his Footballguys 2024 Draft Ranking, he's currently RB38, to rise, it also seems unlikely to rise significantly.
Assuming he doesn't rise above the RB3 range, the anticipated volume would be sufficient to take a shot at -- at least until we see what happens in the NFL Draft.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
There's been an expectation the Texans would be in the market for a running back in free agency; this move does nothing to quell that notion. That said, the available high-end talent is drying up quickly. Is it possible the team might be willing to roll with Pierce and a lower-end free agent -- or a rookie -- to keep opposing defenses from teeing off on second-year QB C.J. Stroud?
That remains to be seen. Until we get some resolution there, it's hard to set expectations for Pierce, who is RB60 in early Underdog drafts and RB64 on BestBall 10s. Those Average Draft Positions align with his Footballguys Draft Ranking (RB55).
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
- None
Overview
With Saquon Barkley joining NFC East rival Philadelphia earlier in the day, the Giants signed Devin Singletary to help fill the void in their backfield. While Singletary is coming off an impressive 2023 campaign for the Texans, he'll face a tough road ahead with a Giants offensive line that ranks near the bottom of the league in run blocking. Still, the anticipated volume will make Singletary fantasy relevant. Drafting him at RB3 prices could offer reasonable value.
