Shepard is trying to come back from two devastating injuries over the past two seasons, and he could have a prominent role for the Giants and Fantasy managers. Or he could be delayed in his recovery and buried on the depth chart in New York. There's a wide range of outcomes for Shepard, who suffered a torn ACL in 2022 after an Achilles injury in 2021. He's been limited to 10 games over the past two seasons, which has been frustrating for all parties involved. When healthy, Shepard has been a productive weapon, and he's averaged at least 11.3 PPR points per game in all seven years of his career. We'll see what happens in training camp with his health and role, and the Giants have a lot of mouths to feed on offense with Darren Waller, Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan'Dale Robinson, Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt. Most likely, Shepard will go undrafted in most leagues, but he could emerge as a waiver-wire option during the season if he's back to 100 percent.
Giants' Sterling Shepard: Targeted just once Week 2
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Shepard caught his only target for four yards in a Week 2 win against Arizona on Sunday.
For the second straight week, Shepard received just one target, though he at least came up with a catch against the Cardinals after being shut out in the season opener. The veteran wideout has been on the field for less than 20 percent of New York's offensive snaps thus far, suggesting that he's near the bottom of the team's wide-receiver pecking order. Shepard is coming off back-to-back campaigns severely shortened by injury, so it's possible his lack of involvement early is at least partly due to the Giants electing to work him back into action slowly.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Sees first action since return
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Shepard caught his only target for six yards in Friday's preseason win over the Panthers.
In his first game action since tearing his ACL in Week 3 last year, Shepard was on the other end of a Tyrod Taylor toss right before halftime as the Giants ran a brief two-minute drill. Despite his return to full health, the veteran slot receiver faces a lot more competition for snaps and targets than he did to begin the 2022 campaign, and Shepard could find himself buried on the depth chart and potentially even off the game-day roster for a Week 1 tilt against the Cowboys.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Returns from PUP list
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Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Shepard (knee) will be activated from the active/PUP list Sunday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.
Shepard will join the Giants for his first practice since suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in a Sept. 26 loss to the Cowboys and later undergoing surgery. The wideout has been limited to just 10 regular-season appearances over the past two years, after a torn Achilles' tendon previously spelled an early end to his 2021 campaign. Due in no small part to his poor track record on the health front, Shepard settled for a one-year, $1.32 million contract with the Giants this offseason and may be forced to battle for a spot in a New York receiver group that lacks an obvious No. 1 option but has plenty of depth. Offseason pickup Parris Campbell likely represents Shepard's primary competition for reps in the slot while Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) recovers from an ACL tear of his own.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Can't quite avoid PUP
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Shepard (knee) is on the active/PUP list to start training camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports that Shepard has looked good this summer and may not stay on the PUP list for long. The 30-year-old has been the Giants' primary slot receiver whenever healthy for the past half-decade, but he's always struggled with injuries and now finds himself coming back from major surgery (ACL tear) for a second straight year -- this time in an offense that also has Parris Campbell and Wan'Dale Robinson (ACL) as slot options.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Continues to progress
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Shepard, who tore his ACL in Week 3 of the 2022 season, noted Tuesday that he is "right on schedule" physically, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
The 30-year-old added that his "goal is to be ready for the season." Once Shepard is fully up to speed, he'll have a chance to compete for slot snaps in a Giants wide receiver corps that also includes Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt and Wan'Dale Robinson (knee). After suiting up for just 10 games over the past two campaigns, Shepard has much to prove health and role-wise before he'll merit fantasy consideration.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Running routes
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Shepard (knee) ran routes at practice Thursday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.
It's only non-contact work at OTAs but at least shows that Shepard is on schedule in his rehab from October surgery on an ACL tear. He signed a one-year contract with the Giants in March and may end up on the roster bubble this summer, but they'll first give the 30-year-old a chance to get healthy and compete for slot snaps. Shepard has averaged at least 42.7 receiving yards per game in each of seven pro seasons, topping 50 the past six years, but he played only 10 games total the past two years and 32 over the past four. He's now rehabbing from major surgery for a second straight offseason after tearing an Achilles in 2021.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Officially re-signs with Giants
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Shepard (knee) re-signed with the Giants on a one-year contract Thursday, Michael Eisen of the team's official site reports.
This move was expected, but now pen has officially been put to paper. Shepard is recovering from an ACL tear sustained in Week 3 of the 2022 season. Injuries have limited his availability in recent years, but Shepard has been fairly productive when on the field, having topped 600 yards four times since the Giants selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Expected to be re-signed
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The Giants are expected to re-sign Shepard (knee) on Wednesday, when the new league year begins, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Shepard is slated to return to the Giants on a one-year, $1.165 million deal heading into his eighth season in 2023, according to Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record. The 5-foot-10 wideout was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2016 Draft and has been a steady producer since then, though he's dealt with numerous injuries over the last four seasons and appeared in just 32 games during that stretch. He tore his ACL in Week 3 of the 2022 campaign and remains in the rehab process, but the impending deal with the Giants suggests New York is happy with the progress the 30-year-old has made so far. However, his status for the start of the upcoming season remains unclear.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Will undergo surgery Tuesday
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Shepard will undergo surgery on his left ACL on Tuesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.
The wideout was placed on IR at the end of September after suffering an ACL tear late in the team's Week 3 loss to Dallas. Shepard rehabbed for over a month before undergoing surgery, which is similar to what teammate Saquon Barkley did, per Stapleton. Shepard has suffered devastating injuries in back-to-back seasons and has missed at least five games in all but two of his first seven NFL campaigns.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: No additional torn ligaments
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Shepard (knee) said Wednesday that he didn't suffer any other ligament tears in addition to the torn ACL he sustained Sept. 26 against the Giants, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
Shepard is likely to undergo surgery in one or two weeks, and his recovery timetable will be made somewhat more manageable with the news that he's avoided additional ligament damage. Per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Shepard expressed confidence that he has another injury comeback in him, after already having already worked his way back from a torn Achilles to make himself available for Week 1. The longest-tenured Giants player will focus his efforts on recovering from the knee injury ahead of the 2023 campaign, which will be his age-30 season. He's scheduled to become a free agent in the coming offseason.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Moved to IR
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Shepard (knee) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Shepard made a full recovery from the Achilles tear he suffered last December and was the most reliable target for quarterback Daniel Jones early this season, but the veteran suffered an ACL tear late in the Giants' Week 3 loss to Dallas. He'll now spend the rest of the season and perhaps a small portion of next season recovery from knee surgery. Shepard is set to turn 30 years old in February and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Tears ACL, done for season
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Shepard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the Giants' Week 3 loss to the Cowboys and will miss the remainder of the season, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Just as the Giants had feared, Shepard fell victim to another significant lower-body injury in Monday's contest, after he had made a full recovery from the torn left Achilles' tendon he sustained last December to make it back for Week 1. The wideout will likely undergo surgery in the coming days, and even if he avoids any snags during the recovery process, his poor track record on the health front could make it difficult for the 29-year-old to earn meaningful guaranteed money on the open market when he hits free agency this offseason. With Shepard -- who led the Giants with 13 receptions for 154 yards through three games -- out of the picture, New York will have to hope that Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) and Kadarius Toney (hamstring) can overcome their own injuries to provide a needed lift to a struggling passing game, and it's possible Kenny Golladay could work his way back into the mix as well.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Season may be over
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Shepard is scheduled to undergo additional tests Tuesday on the left knee injury he suffered in Monday's 23-16 loss to the Cowboys, and the Giants fear that the receiver's season could be over, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Initial tests on Shepard's knee weren't conclusive, but the 29-year-old looks like he could be headed for another long-term absence after he was limited to just seven games in 2021 due to a hamstring injury, a left quadriceps injury and a torn Achilles' tendon. He made it back from Achilles surgery to suit up Week 1 this year, only to go down with a non-contact knee injury in the final minutes of Monday's loss. Through the first three weeks, Shepard had been the top receiver in a banged-up Giants wideout room, logging 13 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown on 24 targets.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Carted off after non-contact injury
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Shepard was carted off late in Monday's game against the Cowboys after suffering an apparent left knee injury, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.
Shepard was injured on New York's last offensive play of the game. He got hurt without any contact and immediately clutched his leg in pain. The context around Shepard's injury suggests this could be another serious injury for the wide receiver, though New York will run additional tests to determine its nature and extent.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Shepard had 10 targets in Week 2 against the Panthers, but he only finished with six catches for 34 yards. He should continue to stay involved as a prime target for Daniel Jones, but hopefully he'll be more productive this week against the Cowboys. I like Shepard as a No. 3 PPR receiver with upside on Monday night.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Sleeper WRs
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Shepard had 10 targets in Week 2 against the Panthers, but he only finished with six catches for 34 yards. He should continue to stay involved as a prime target for Daniel Jones, but hopefully he'll be more productive this week against the Cowboys. I like Shepard as a No. 3 PPR receiver with upside on Monday night.
With Garrett Wilson and Curtis Samuel now over 70% rostered, Sterling Shepard becomes the top waiver wire priority. Shepard has seen a 25% target share the first two weeks of the season which is pretty much in line with what he's done the past two years whenever he and Daniel Jones have been on the field together. He has a shot at WR2 production every week.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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Sterling Shepard didn't have a great stat line in Week 2 against Carolina with just 34 receiving yards, but that's not what you should look at. He had 10 targets in just his second game back from his Achilles injury, and he finished with six catches. With Kadarius Toney seemingly in the doghouse, Kenny Golladay a non-factor and Wan'Dale Robinson hurt, Shepard should continue to be a go-to option for Daniel Jones moving forward. Shepard can be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in PPR and is worth adding for up to 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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It was great to see Sterling Shepard back in Week 1 in his comeback from last year's Achilles injury, and he looked good with two catches for 71 yards and a touchdown on four targets, including a 65-yard score. We'll see what happens with Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) and if Kadarius Toney plays more in Week 2, but Shepard should see an uptick in playing time and targets against the Panthers. Daniel Jones loves Shepard, and he should be a quality No. 3 PPR receiver this week.
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Giants' Sterling Shepard: Sleeper WRs
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It was great to see Sterling Shepard back in Week 1 in his comeback from last year's Achilles injury, and he looked good with two catches for 71 yards and a touchdown on four targets, including a 65-yard score. We'll see what happens with Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) and if Kadarius Toney plays more in Week 2, but Shepard should see an uptick in playing time and targets against the Panthers. Daniel Jones loves Shepard, and he should be a quality No. 3 PPR receiver this week.
