Overall Fantasy Impact: Average

Coming off an improbable championship run last season, it will be tempting to fantasy owners to grab Giants players this draft day in the hope that their momentum will continue.

But can you trust their postseason success? Don’t forget that the offense was only mediocre in the regular season, ranking 16th in yards and 14th in points.

The other problem is that the Giants are very deep at the receiver and running back positions, which translates into success on the field and headaches for owners trying to determine who’s going to get the bulk of the playing time. So it’s conceivable that the first three rounds of your draft will pass without one member of the Super Bowl champs being selected.

QUARTERBACKS: His postseason performance would seem to suggest that Eli Manning is ready to move up to the next level of fantasy quarterbacks. He’s entering his 5th year in the league and is surrounded with more weapons than he’s ever had before. Up to this point Eli has been just so-so in fantasy terms. Last year’s 23 TD passes (11th in the league) followed up back-to-back seasons with 24. He had just two games without a score last year, but he also had just two games with more than 2 scores. Those numbers are strictly in the bottom-tier of what you’d expect from a No.1 fantasy QB, but they should go up a little this year, making Eli a solid choice somewhere around Round 6.

David Carr is best suited as a back-up, but shouldn’t be a legit fantasy option if he ever gets on the field.

RUNNING BACKS: This is a messy area that won’t be easy for fantasy owners to dissect. Brandon Jacobs is the best choice after his first 1,000-yard season, but he also missed lots of time with injury and saw his touchdowns plummet from 16 in his first two seasons to 4 rushing scores last year. Until he proves he can stay on the field, you shouldn’t consider him until round 3. Derrick Ward was brilliant when replacing Jacobs, but couldn’t stay healthy himself. And then Ahmad Bradshaw came on in the playoffs to be the team’s leading postseason rusher, but he’s been dogged by off-the-field woes this offseason. Oh, and don’t forget about Reuben Droughns, who parlayed his role as a short-yardage specialist into a team-leading 6 rushing scores.

Watch the preseason closely, but expect to take whoever wins the back-up job between Ward and Bradshaw somewhere in the middle rounds for solid running back depth.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: Plaxico Burress hits age 30 this year but set career-highs in TDs in each of the past two seasons, including 12 last year. He doesn’t catch enough passes to be considered a great No.1 fantasy guy, but his touchdown-potential makes him a top-end No.2. Amani Toomer found new life in the postseason, but that shouldn’t mask a regular season with just 3 TDs or the fact that he’s five years removed from his last 1,000-yard season.

Toomer will likely be pushed for playing time by a bevy of young receivers, including recent high draft picks Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss, this year’s third-rounder Mario Manningham, and Super Bowl hero David Tyree. Manningham is the one to watch out of this group; he could be a fantasy factor by the end of the year.

The Giants patience seems to have finally been exhausted by Jeremy Shockey, especially since they won the Super Bowl with him in street clothes. It’s possible he could be traded, in which case you’d need to know his destination before determining his value. If he sticks around and gets healthy, he’s good enough to be a fantasy starter at tight end, although he’s not on the same level anymore as the very best. Kevin Boss would get the call if Shockey is dumped. He’s strictly fantasy back-up material.