Fantasy implications of Odell Beckham Jr.’s broken left ankle

The New York Giants were dealt a stunning, brutal blow on Sunday, as star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. broke his left ankle late in the fourth quarter of a 27-22 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and will likely require surgery, effectively ending his 2017 season.

With the Giants leading 22-20 and 4:07 left in the game at MetLife Stadium, Beckham leaped for a high pass from Eli Manning over the middle but could not make the catch. As Beckham landed, his left leg was pinned and twisted awkwardly by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward, causing the injury.

Beckham lay crumpled on the field for several minutes in obvious anguish and could be seen crying as he was carted off the field. It was a cruel end to an otherwise strong performance, as Beckham caught 5-of--8 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown. The Giants subsequently allowed a late touchdown to fall to 0-5.

What happens to the Giants offense without OBJ: It’s not just Beckham who went down with an ankle injury on Sunday. The entire starting receiving corps was lost to ankle injuries, as Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard left the game well before Beckham’s injury. That leaves Roger Lewis, who hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass for his lone reception, as the only healthy receiver on the roster. If Marshall and Shepard miss time, the Giants will need to scour the waiver wire or make a trade (Kenny Britt?) to fill out their roster.

Presumably, this means tight end Evan Engram will see a substantial uptick in targets, although the Chargers held Engram without a reception Sunday, in large part because Hayward was shadowing Beckham and the rest of the secondary could see out to stop Engram. Wayne Gallman and Shane Vereen will also have to be more involved on a team that has struggled mightily to run effectively. This is a nightmare scenario for Manning, who had finally gotten rolling in the two weeks before Sunday. Now the entire offense is toxic for fantasy players.