New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz did not practice on Monday, per NJ.com's Jordan Raanan.
Victor Cruz absent from Monday’s practice, fantasy value declining
The veteran slot receiver continues his quest to become healthy after a calf injury and a devastating knee injury. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Though it makes sense for the Giants to rest their veteran receiver coming off of a serious injury, it’s the latest of several discouraging reports surrounding Cruz’s availability in recent days. The likelihood of Cruz suiting up for Week 1 gets lower by the day, though staying on the sidelines is not yet a foregone conclusion.
Fantasy Spin: Though Cruz was one of the NFL's premier slot receivers of recent years, it's difficult to imagine a return to form after tearing his patellar tendon and also dealing with a calf injury. Rueben Randle will likely see an uptick in production if Cruz is absent, and Odell Beckham, Jr.'s monopolization of targets should remain unchanged.
Beckham remains a high-end WR1 for opening weekend, while Randle can be considered a boom-or-bust WR4 in a potential shootout. As for Cruz, he is an unlikely fantasy contributor in 2015, and is being vastly over-drafted at his current seventh-round average draft position. He is worth a roster stash, but should be drafted with caution.
