The New York Giants overhauled their running back rotation in Week 6, moving away from starter Cam Skattebo and using a totally different rotation of options. With J.J. McCarthy taking over at quarterback in place of Jameis Winston, more changes are coming in Week 7, when the Giants visit the Texans. If you spent a high draft pick on Skattebo for your fantasy football team, is it best to hold onto the running back on your bench for now, or is it safe to drop him and move on to another option in the backfield?
Let’s take a look at Skattebo’s issues so far this season and his outlook for the rest of the way.
Cam Skattebo’s Season So Far
As a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in 2025, Skattebo showed significant potential as a rookie. His season was cut short by a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and deltoid ligament rupture suffered in Week 8 against the Eagles, but before that injury, he churned out 410 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on his 101 carries, adding two more touchdowns on 24 catches for 207 receiving yards.
After recovering this offseason, Skattebo began the year as the Giants’ primary running back. He played at least 59% of snaps in each of his first five games this season. Through those five games, he had 81 carries for 294 yards and one touchdown while adding 10 catches on 12 targets for 79 receiving yards.
While his yards per carry were down slightly, the main concern with Skattebo’s game was his fumbles. Skattebo fumbled four times in those five games, but only one was recovered by the opponent. That one lost fumble came at a critical moment, though, in the team’s Week 5 tie with the Commanders.
Skattebo had a few big runs in the second half of that game and even had a 19-yard gain in overtime as his team was looking to get in position for a potential game-winning field goal. Unfortunately for Skattebo, he lost the ball at that critical point at the Commanders’ 24-yard line. The Commanders took that turnover and went on their drive that ended up being mismanaged into no field-goal attempt and a tie game, but the fumble was still a costly one.
The Giants made a major change for Week 6, even though head coach John Harbaugh said they did not bench Skattebo. Najee Harris got the start in his place in Week 6, though, and Skattebo only played six offensive snaps, not getting a carry or a target in the entire game.
The Giants’ running game definitely didn’t take off in his absence. The team’s leading rusher was actually McCarthy, who had 26 rushing yards on two carries. Harris only had two rushing yards on his four carries, while Tyrone Tracy Jr. had the most carries and rushing yards of all running backs, finishing with six carries for 18 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, adding another touchdown as a receiver while hauling in two passes for 27 yards. Devin Singletary was also in the mix with four carries for 14 rushing yards and a 19-yard catch.
Tracy had the best fantasy performance with two touchdowns, but his overall production wasn’t dominant enough to establish him as the clear lead back.
Cam Skattebo Fantasy Football Outlook
Harbaugh emphasized after the game that Skattebo had not been benched.
On Monday, when asked about the running back room, Harbaugh said, “One of those guys needs to step up. Somebody needs to step up and be the back. And none of those guys have done that yet.”
One player who won’t get another chance to step up is last week’s starter, Najee Harris. The veteran was very critical of the team’s timeshare and not allowing running backs to settle into a rhythm. The team moved quickly and released him on Tuesday, leaving Singletary, Tracy and Skattebo as the three backs available.
Tracy may have earned the top spot, and his strong pass protection and work as a receiver out of the backfield could help J.J. McCarthy settle in as starter. He doesn’t have a bruising, early-down frame, though, so he could also be more of a third-down back with Skattebo taking most of the early-down work.
The starting job remains up for grabs, and with Skattebo’s success last season, he has a good chance to regain the role at some point before the end of the year. He still has enough upside to justify holding him on your bench, if roster space allows, since he could regain the lead-back role with a strong performance.
The Bottom Line: Sit Cam Skattebo, but hold if possible
After his Week 6 usage, Skattebo is too risky to start in most formats, so bench him in Week 7. However, he still has the potential to produce starting-level production at some point this season. Especially with Harris’ release, it’s too early to totally abandon Skattebo in most standard-sized leagues.
