Despite their 2-4 record, the Giants have become must-watch TV. That’s due in large part to quarterback Jaxson Dart. Since taking the starting QB job in Week 4, the rookie has led Big Blue to a pair of victories. That includes Week 6’s 34-17 upset of the defending champion Eagles.
At this point, it’s easy to get excited about Dart’s long-term potential. However, that doesn’t mean much in season-long fantasy football. Can managers trust the first-round pick’s recent production, or should they look elsewhere for a quarterback?
Jaxson Dart fantasy football outlook
It was a night to remember in the Big Apple last Thursday. Against Philadelphia, Dart led the way with 195 passing yards, 58 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. Mid-game injury scare aside, it was a perfect evening for the Ole Miss alum.
In today’s NFL landscape, being a consistent fantasy producer at quarterback means using your legs. Dart is more than capable in that regard, rushing for at least 50 yards in each of his first three contests. His one lackluster outing came in Week 5 against the Saints. The 22-year-old coughed up three turnovers en route to a Giants loss. However, even with his mistakes, Dart managed to record 15.6 fantasy points.
This weekend will be a pivotal step for New York’s face of the franchise. The G-Men are flying to Colorado for a date with the tenacious Broncos. Their defense leads the NFL with 30.0 sacks this season. That’s good enough for an average of 5.0 takedowns per game.
The Giants have shown improvement along their offensive line. Still, this unit leaves much to be desired outside of left tackle Andrew Thomas. Whether or not Dart leads his squad to a victory, this will tell us a lot about his fantasy viability. If the youngster puts together another terrific stat line, against Denver no less, he can do so against anyone. However, a disastrous showing would make it difficult to start the dual-threat going forward.
In fantasy football leagues of ten teams or more, Dart needs to (at the very least) be rostered. With quarterbacks such as Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Brock Purdy all injured, there’s a ton of uncertainty at the position. Avoid starting Dart this week, but monitor his performance closely. Denver’s tenacious pass rush might force the scrambler outside of the pocket. That could lead to some unexpected, improvised plays down the field.
Until further notice, I’d bench Dart in favor of other similarly ranked quarterbacks. That list includes Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, and Caleb Williams. However, a lighter second-half schedule for the Giants opens up a world of possibilities. Dart isn’t a locked-in fantasy starter — yet. In a few weeks, that may not be the case.
