Tyrone Tracy Jr. wound up being a really solid late-round selection last season. It’s rare for fifth-round rookies to make an impact, but Tracy took over the New York Giants RB1 role from Devin Singletary. This year, Tracy is the incumbent facing a challenge from another rookie. Can Cam Skattebo do to Tracy what Tracy did to Devin Singletary, making him a fantasy football target?
Should You Draft Cam Skattebo in Fantasy?
Every year, I mostly dismiss any hype about Day 3 rookies, especially guys who went in Round 5 and later. The fantasy community loves to hype up college darlings who rarely pan out. Remember DeWayne McBride, Evan Hull, Zach Evans, and Jermar Jefferson? No? Exactly.
That’s not to say every later Day 3 running back is useless. Isiah Pacheco, Elijah Mitchell, Aaron Jones, and Chris Carson do exist. It’s more that the hits should all be considered outliers. No one should ever expect anything from later Day 3 running backs.
Last year, Tracy joined a Giants roster featuring Devin Singletary and Eric Gray as primary competition. It was a wide-open backfield. But even with the favorable situation, it took a Singletary injury to truly open the door for Tracy to take over.
Now, one year later, with Tracy still being a young up-and-comer, the fantasy community is ready to cast him aside for the next guy.
The Giants selected Skattebo in the early fourth round, earlier than where they took Tracy last season. This has led to the fantasy community pushing him up draft boards to the point where he’s just about even with Tracy.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
As a reminder, Tracy was better than his total numbers suggest last season. If you remove the first four games of the season when he was a seldom-used backup, he averaged 13.1 fantasy points per game, which would have put him at RB21 over a full season.
I think a lot of the Skattebo hype is a bit overblown. Tracy is still the starter and the better pass catcher. For him to relinquish that role without an injury would involve a very talented alternative outplaying him. Forgive me, but I don’t view Skattebo as that player.
Skattebo is a power back. At 219 pounds, he does project better at the goal line, which could be an issue. But in terms of taking the rest of the work, I don’t see it.
Skattebo ran a 4.71 40-time, giving him a speed score in the 24th percentile. Interestingly, despite his size, Skattebo was heavily used as a receiver in college, earning a 14.4% best season college target share. My concern is that his lack of speed, as well as his pass protection issues, will end up deterring coaches from using him that way in the NFL.
Unless a little-known injury is a factor, Cam Skattebo’s pass protection could limit his opportunities early.
Overextension is rampant. The impact:
– Telegraphs
– Can’t see where to strike
– Defender gets 1st contact w/hands
– Easy countersWork needed. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/meB6IEKiBr
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) February 1, 2025
With both Skattebo and Tracy present, fantasy managers are understandably not particularly confident in who will be the lead back. Therefore, both running backs have ADPs in the 30s, with Skattebo slightly behind the sophomore at RB34 vs. RB30.
I am firmly on team Tracy for the 2025 season. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a path for Skattebo. He should have some touchdown-or-bust RB4 appeal, at worst, with the potential to do better than I think and play himself into a larger role. Additionally, there’s the injury contingent upside. If Tracy were to miss time, I would expect Skattebo to see upwards of a 60% opportunity share.
I have Skattebo ranked at RB33. I acknowledge the upside, but I am not particularly excited about drafting him. There will likely be someone in every draft who is more enamored with him than me.
Cameron Sheath’s Cam Skattebo Fantasy Projection
Cam Skattebo is the complete package as far as running backs go. His ability to lower his shoulder while still being elusive makes him difficult to stop. He also manages to remain smooth through contact, with exceptional contact balance that allows him to pick up additional yards that others wouldn’t.
That said, Tyrone Tracy Jr. showed plenty of playmaking ability in 2024 and is an accomplished pass catcher, having played receiver for his first four years in college. Tracy did slow down on the ground towards the end of last season, though, suggesting there may be a ready-made role for Skattebo to walk into.
Skattebo is capable of handling bell-cow usage — he carried the ball 293 times in 13 games last year, averaging 22.54 carries per game. For context, Saquon Barkley led all NFL backs with 345 carries in 16 games, averaging 21.56 per game.
Skattebo caught 45 passes in his final year at Arizona State, more than Tracy caught in any year at college, even when playing receiver. If Skattebo can eat into Tracy’s receiving role, he could quickly establish himself as a three-down back in New York. The Giants’ 2025 schedule is horrendous, but that much usage would still make him a huge value in drafts.
