Getty Giants Evan Engram celebrates with former teammate Rhett Ellison
The New York Giants are fresh off a bye week and looking to get back in the win column after dropping six straight games, the longest losing streak currently in football.
However, despite the added week of rest, New York will once again be without arguably their top offensive playmaker for the season when they take the field in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. To make matters worse, his backup has also been ruled out, leaving a team already thin in terms of skill-players desperate for bodies to fill out their starting lineup.
Yet, not all the news coming out of East Rutherford is bad, as the team could be regaining the services of their number one wideout this Sunday.
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Evan Engram & Rhett Ellison Ruled Out For Sunday
The New York Giants made it official on Friday afternoon, the team will indeed be without matchup nightmare Evan Engram when they travel to Chicago to take on the Bears in Week 12.
Giants TE Evan Engram and top back-up TE Rhett Ellison have both been ruled out for Sunday against the Bears.
The matchup will mark the second consecutive game Engram has missed. Chatter of his availability (or rather unavailability) for the remainder of 2019, in what has proven to become a lost season, has begun to build.
Not only will the team be without Engram, they will also be stripped of the services of Engram’s backup Rhett Ellison. Ellison has been a serviceable replacement for Engram on the football field, as well as in fantasy football lineups throughout the years.
In the Giants’ most recent contest, Ellison finished third on the team with 42 receiving yards against the inner-state rival New York Jets.
Sterling Shepard’s Return Looms
Slot-maven Sterling Shepard has been hampered by injuries all season long. The former Oklahoma Sooner has missed five consecutive games and six of his 10 possible contests this season due to multiple concussions.
Many fans and media personalities have clamored for the team to simply shut down the young talented wideout, due to the potential long term effects of his head injuries.
However, the Giants apparently have different plans for their number one receiver. Shepard, along with cornerback Janoris Jenkins, practiced in full on Thursday and both have now cleared concussion protocal, making them available for Sunday’s game.
The return of Shepard will likely hamper Darius Slayton’s fantasy value this week. The rookie receiver has begun to flash over recent weeks, scoring four touchdowns over his past three games, and he’s fresh off a 10 reception, 121 yard outing in the team’s most recent game.
With that said, Shepard’s fantasy outlook this week isn’t something to jump for joy over. The Chicago Bears are the second-best defense in fantasy in terms of points surrendered to opposing wide receivers this season.