Breida is again a backup for the Giants, and he could be worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues. Breida will enter training camp as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley, but he should face competition for the role from rookie Eric Gray. Gary Brightwell is also in the mix as the handcuff for Barkley. Even if Breida isn't drafted in most leagues, he could be a popular addition off the waiver wire in case Barkley misses time.
Giants' Matt Breida: Records three touches in Week 12
Rotowire
Breida tallied six yards on two rushes and added a 10-yard reception on his only target in Sunday's 10-7 win over New England.
As usual, Saquon Barkley dominated work out of the backfield for the Giants, leaving just a few scraps for Breida. The backup RB did manage his highest yardage total in four weeks, but that was far from enough to make a meaningful fantasy impact. Breida will continue to see a minimal role as long as Barkley is healthy.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Negative yardage in Week 11
Rotowire
Breida rushed three times for minus-one yard and did not catch his only target in Sunday's 31-19 win over Washington.
Saquon Barkley once again dominated the New York backfield, and Breida's three carries were actually second-most on the team, with wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson and quarterback Tommy DeVito notching one tote apiece. Breida's lone positive play was a three-yard rush in the fourth quarter, but he immediately followed that with a four-yard loss on the following snap. As has been the case for the entire campaign, the veteran RB has no fantasy value except as a stash in case Barkley were to miss time, and even then he'd have limited appeal given the poor play of the Giants' offense for the majority of the season.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Gets just one touch in blowout loss
Rotowire
Breida rushed once for three yards and didn't receiving any targets in Sunday's Week 10 loss to Dallas.
The Giants fell behind 42-7 after three quarters but continued to ride with Saquon Barkley into the fourth period. Barkley was eventually pulled, but it was Jashaun Corbin rather than Breida who saw mop-up work near the end of the contest. Breida logged just 13 offensive snaps in the loss, while Barkley tallied 35 and Corbin totaled 15. The Giants have been among the league's worst teams this season, so they may decide to lessen Barkley's workload at some point as they push for a high draft pick rather than a playoff spot. Still, it would likely be youngsters like Corbin and Eric Gray (calf, IR) who see more work in that scenario rather than the veteran Breida.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Gets just three touches in loss
Rotowire
Breida rushed twice for five yards and caught one of two targets for six yards in Sunday's Week 9 loss to the Raiders.
The Giants fell behind 24-0 by halftime and didn't do much better in the second half, but they continued to lean heavily on workhorse running back Saquon Barkley -- who finished with 19 total touches for 113 yards -- even as the game got out of hand. That once again kept Breida to a minimal role that netted very little production. The veteran tailback hasn't gained more than 17 total yards in any contest since Week 5, and he doesn't figure to see significantly more opportunities while Barkley remains healthy.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Minor role despite run-heavy script
Rotowire
Breida rushed five times for 13 yards and caught his only target for four yards in Sunday's Week 8 overtime loss to the Jets.
With starting QB Tyrod Taylor departing in the second quarter with a rib cage injury, the Giants attempted to grind out a win on the ground, accumulating 52 rushes versus just 14 pass attempts as a team. However, 36 of the carries went to Saquon Barkley, with the remaining 16 spread out between four different players. Breida's five carries were his most since Week 5, but they were still far from enough to result in meaningful fantasy numbers. If neither Taylor nor Daniel Jones (neck) is able to suit up in Week 9 against Las Vegas, New York could opt to again go with a run-heavy game plan, but that doesn't mean Breida will be involved enough to have any sort of fantasy viability.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Posts another quiet performance
Rotowire
Breida carried the ball three times for four yards and caught his only target for five yards in Sunday's 14-7 Week 7 win over Washington.
Breida had seen an uptick in snaps with Saquon Barkley out with an ankle injury between Week 3 and Week 5, but he followed last Sunday's four-carry effort with just three totes against the Commanders. The veteran back didn't do much with his limited opportunities, as his four yards on the ground were a season-low mark. As long as Barkley is able to play, Breida has very limited fantasy value given the Giants' propensity to use Barkley heavily in both the running and passing game.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Four carries in Barkley's return
Rotowire
Breida rushed four times for 13 yards and didn't catch his only target in Sunday's loss to Buffalo.
Breida played over half of New York's offensive snaps in each of the previous three games with Saquon Barkley out due to an ankle injury, but his role unsurprisingly shrank with Barkley back in action in Week 6. Breida saw the field for just 18 of the Giants' 77 offensive snaps and didn't make much of an impact with a long gain of six yards. This volume figures to be the norm for the veteran back whenever Barkley is able to suit up, and Breida wasn't very productive even when filling in during Barkley's absence, so there's little appeal to rostering him in fantasy except as an unexciting stash.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Logs 10 touches in loss
Rotowire
Breida rushed nine times for 21 yards and brought in his only target for three yards in the Giants' 31-16 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
The veteran opened the contest as the No. 1 back for the third consecutive game with Saquon Barkley (ankle) still sidelined, but Breida was ultimately ineffective against one of his former squads and saw rookie Eric Gray outpace him by three carries. Both Breida and Gray figure to slide back into rotational roles with Barkley likely to return in a Week 6 road matchup against the Bills.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Set for lead role again
Rotowire
Breida is expected to remain the Giants' lead running back for Sunday's game against the Dolphins with Saquon Barkley (ankle) inactive for the contest, ESPN.com reports.
Breida will get a third consecutive start while Barkley misses another game due to a right high-ankle sprain. The 28-year-old has played north of 70 percent of the snaps on offense in both of his first two starts, carrying 18 times for 47 yards and a touchdown while adding eight receptions for 49 yards between those contests. A poor Giants offensive line will be without left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), interior lineman Shane Lemieux (groin) and John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) in Week 5, so while he may once again be in line for a healthy snap and touch count, Breida could struggle to generate yardage efficiently.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Gets 19 touches in Week 4 loss
Rotowire
Breida rushed 14 times for 30 yards and caught all five of his targets for 48 yards in Monday's 24-3 loss to the Seahawks.
Breida got a second consecutive start with Saquon Barkley (ankle) sidelined. He failed to find much running room behind a shaky offensive line that also allowed 11 sacks, but Breida led the Giants in receiving yards as Daniel Jones was repeatedly forced to check down. Barkley's hoping to return from his high-ankle sprain Week 5 against the Dolphins, but if the star running back sits again, Breida should continue to handle the lion's share of backfield touches.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Expected to fill lead role Monday
Rotowire
Breida is expected to serve as the Giants' lead back Monday against the Seahawks with Saquon Barkley (ankle) listed as doubtful and likely to miss a second straight game, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
The "lead" role didn't equate to much in terms of opportunity while Barkley was sidelined for the Giants' 30-12 loss to the 49ers in Week 3, as Breida played 41 of the team's 50 snaps on offense (82 percent) yet finished with just four carries for 17 yards and a touchdown and three receptions for one yard on three targets. A negative game script as well as the matchup with one of the league's better defenses were certainly factors in his lack of touches, but even with a more favorable draw Monday versus Seattle, Breida is probably unlikely to match the 19 touches that Barkley averaged in the Giants' first two games of the season. Breida at least profiles as the most interesting fantasy option among a Giants running back group that will also include Gary Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray on Monday.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Week 4 Adds (RB Preview)
Rotowire
Saquon Barkley is trying to come back, which could completely ruin Breida's Week 4 appeal, but Breida is a high-end flex is Barkley is out and needs to be added just in case. Breida played 86% of the snaps with Daniel Jones including all 11 on third and fourth down. The Seahawks present a much better matchup than San Francisco did.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
We hope Saquon Barkley (ankle) is back in Week 4 against Seattle, but if he's out again then Breida can be used as a flex option in all leagues. Barkley missed Week 3 at San Francisco, and Breida played 82 percent of the snaps. He didn't do much with them with four carries for 17 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 1 yard on three targets, but this is an easier matchup against the Seahawks. Keep an eye on Barkley's status, and Breida can be used as a flex option in Week 4. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Meager opportunity in loss
Rotowire
Breida rushed four times for 17 yards and a touchdown and brought in all three targets for one yard in the Giants' 30-12 loss to the 49ers on Thursday night.
Stepping in for Saquon Barkley (ankle), Breida somewhat unsurprisingly ended up with sparse opportunities on the ground against a 49ers team that overmatched the Giants on both sides of the ball. The veteran back did manage to salvage his fantasy night to an extent with an eight-yard touchdown rush with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, his first rushing score since Week 11 of last season. A report earlier Thursday indicated Barkley's injury is specifically a high-ankle sprain, which portends a potential multi-game absence. However, whether Breida will have another shot as the primary early down back in a Week 4 home matchup against the Seahawks on Monday night, Oct. 2 remains to be seen.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Week 3 Adds (RB Preview)
Rotowire
We expect Breida to lead the Giants backfield for as long as Saquon Barkely is out, which could be two to three weeks. Breida is a flex at best, and Gary Brightwell could factor in as well. Expect somewhere between five and 10 PPR points for both, with a little more upside than that if they find their way into the end zone.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Week 3 starter with Barkley out
Rotowire
Breida is expected to start Thursday's game in San Francisco with top running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) ruled out for the Week 3 matchup, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Barkley has had a near-monopoly on touches out of the backfield through two weeks, but he sprained his ankle late in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. Prior reports had suggested that Barkley's injury was expected to sideline him for around three weeks, but he may be making more progress than expected up to this point in his recovery. At least for Week 3, Barkley will remain out, leaving Breida as the next man up to lead a Giants backfield that also includes 2021 sixth-round draft pick Gary Brightwell and 2023 fifth-round draft pick Eric Gray. Breida has a career average of 4.8 yards per carry, but much of that production came while he ran behind strong offensive lines with San Francisco from 2017 through 2019 and with Miami in 2020. On Thursday, he'll be rushing behind a Giants line that will be without both of its regular starters on the left side in tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) and guard Ben Bredeson (concussion).
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Stashes (RB Preview)
Rotowire
You should add Breida, Gary Brightwell, and even Eric Gray in deeper leagues. But you cannot start any of them in Week 3 against the 49ers. The matchups get better after this week. If one of these backs emerges as a true lead back in Barkley's offense, they could be an RB2 by Week 4.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
If the timetable for Saquon Barkley (ankle) is 2-3 weeks, Breida should start for the Giants at San Francisco on Thursday night, followed by Seattle in Week 4 and potentially at Miami in Week 5. I wouldn't want to trust Breida against the 49ers, but he could be a flex against the Seahawks and Dolphins. Gary Brightwell will also have a role, but Breida should get the chance for 15-plus touches in place of Barkley. Breida is worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Quiet Sunday but could start Week 3
Rotowire
Breida rushed once for five yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game Sunday in a win against Arizona in Week 2. However, top running back Saquon Barkley injured his ankle late in the contest, making Breida a candidate to start for New York this Thursday in San Francisco.
Breida's lone rush attempt Sunday came on the play after Barkley was injured with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Breida logged only three touches in a season-opening loss to Dallas, emphasizing the minimal role he has on offense when Barkley is healthy. However, with the Giants' star RB slated for an MRI on his ankle Monday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the door appears to be open for Breida to move in as the team's starter Thursday in San Francisco and possibly for additional time beyond that. The matchup against the 49ers is far from ideal, and there is hope among the organization that Barkley avoided a high-ankle sprain, so fantasy managers have a lot to consider when weighing how much to invest in grabbing Breida off the waiver wire.
... See More... See Less
Giants' Matt Breida: Week 3 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
Rotowire
Even the ankle injury that forced Saquon Barkley out of Sunday's game doesn't necessarily look like it'll lead to an obvious, must-add option on the wire, though the short turnaround before their Week 3 game against the 49ers Thursday night doesn't bode well for his chances. The problem is, are you really going to want to use Matt Breida or Gary Brightwell against the 49ers even if Barkley is out? I'd guess Breida is the lead back if Barkley is out, but only managed 11 PPR points in his only start last season despite eight targets and four carries; Brightwell had 7.3 points on 11 carries and three targets. In fairness, that was with the team's backup QB, so maybe they can manage better with Daniel Jones in Week 3. But I can't imagine ranking either back as more than an RB4 if Barkley is out Thursday.
