I won't bury the lede: in five of the past six seasons, the Giants have had not one, but two top-33 fantasy running backs.
Before I entice you further into the discussion of CFBstats.com. Expecting spectacular stats in these circumstances is foolish, but you'll see that he did basically all of his damage against unranked opponents.
| Splits | Games | Attempts | Yards | Avg. | Touchdowns | Yards/Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Ranked (AP) | 3 | 69 | 257 | 3.72 | 0 | 85.67 |
| vs. Unranked (AP) | 10 | 286 | 1920 | 6.71 | 18 | 192.00 |
This may mean nothing, or it may mean a lot if Williams is subject to poor offensive line play of the 2013 Giants again this season.
Regardless of line play, it's wrong assume he would be used in such a high-volume manner, which would place him in a different role than he played last season. Since Tom Coughlin's arrival in 2004, the Giants have had just three seasons with a 300-carry back. (All were from have scored 13 touchdowns or fewer on 387 or more carries, Jennings' career totals. It might stand to reason that Maurice Jones-Drew played a big factor in snagging all of Jacksonville's touchdowns, but that wasn't entirely true. In Jennings' final two seasons with the Jaguars, 2010 and 2012, he scored six times. Jones-Drew also scored six in those two years.
Jennings just doesn't seem to be the Giants' goal-line answer, but Williams has surely showed an affinity for getting to the end zone during his collegiate career.
Is the Big Apple Big Enough for the Two of Them?
Historically, having Giants running backs on your fantasy team can be, at times, very frustrating. Coughlin doesn't seem to mind letting a spell back get some run, and Brandon Jacobs used to be viable based on touchdown potential alone. With New York's serious struggles last season, it may be hard to remember a time when the team had not one but two useful fantasy backs, but there is some precedent under Coughlin.
| Season | Leading Fantasy Rusher | FP | RB Rank | Secondary Fantasy Rusher | FP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Andre Brown | 73.5 | 52 | Brandon Jacobs | 47.1 | 68 |
| 2012 | Ahmad Bradshaw | 156.0 | 18 | Andre Brown | 97.1 | 31 |
| 2011 | Ahmad Bradshaw | 159.6 | 20 | Brandon Jacobs | 116.9 | 33 |
| 2010 | Ahmad Bradshaw | 197.9 | 13 | Brandon Jacobs | 140.2 | 22 |
| 2009 | Ahmad Bradshaw | 137.5 | 28 | Brandon Jacobs | 135.9 | 29 |
| 2008 | Brandon Jacobs | 199.5 | 12 | Derrick Ward | 150.9 | 23 |
| 2007 | Brandon Jacobs | 149.3 | 21 | Derrick Ward | 100.1 | 37 |
| 2006 | Tiki Barber | 239.7 | 7 | Brandon Jacobs | 109.2 | 37 |
| 2005 | Tiki Barber | 306.0 | 4 | Brandon Jacobs | 50.9 | 60 |
| 2004 | Tiki Barber | 294.6 | 2 | Mike Cloud | 27.3 | 82 |
After Barber dominated the fantasy production in New York's backfield for three years, things started to level out. In the five seasons from 2008-2012, the Giants provided just a pair of top-33 fantasy rushers. While getting production at this level won't carry you to a fantasy championship, there's reason to believe that both Jennings and Williams could be more-than-useful if Coughlin's Giants can create a top-24 back, which they've failed to do just twice in 10 years.
Jennings has enough shortcomings, mainly his modest carry totals and underwhelming receiving production, to warrant Coughlin's reliance on the type of shared backfield production that has frustrated fantasy managers for the past decade. Williams is capable of taking on a sizable amount of rushing attempts and goal line touches from Jennings, but his inability as a receiver will ensure that he doesn't become an every-down back this early in his career.
This is shaping up to be a Giant-sized timeshare to which fantasy footballers have grown accustomed in the past. If 2013 proves to be an anomaly for New York, then both of these guys could end up as top-30 fantasy backs.