Cam Skattebo Is Doubtful at Philadelphia: Devin Singletary Leads the Giants Backfield as NFC East-Leading New York Visits the Reeling Eagles

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is officially doubtful for Sunday's divisional game at Philadelphia with a hamstring injury, and the Giants appear set to turn to Devin Singletary as their lead back. Skattebo missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before a limited session Friday, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that he is trending toward missing the game. Head coach John Harbaugh left the door slightly open, but with Tyrone Tracy on injured reserve with his own hamstring injury, the Giants' backfield is down to Singletary and whoever is elevated from the practice squad, with Eric Gray a candidate to help at running back and in the return game.

Skattebo was hurt in the Week 7 win over Houston, and even a Week 8 bye was not enough time to get him back to full practice. One report this week suggested that even if he were active, his snaps would likely be limited. For fantasy managers, the doubtful tag is effectively a sit recommendation, since a Sunday afternoon kickoff gives no late-swap cushion if he is a surprise inactive.

The state of the NFC East

The context makes this game more interesting than the standings might suggest. The Giants are 4-2-1 and lead the NFC East, while the Eagles are 2-6, have lost six straight and sit in last place. Philadelphia is making its third quarterback change of the season, benching Tanner McKee for Joe Milton, with Jalen Hurts out for the season due to blood clots. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith has not practiced all week with a hamstring injury and is listed as doubtful or out depending on the report, which further limits Philadelphia's offense.

That has the Giants favored on the road in Philadelphia, a sentence few would have predicted in August.

A total of 38.5 is among the lowest on the Week 9 board, and it tells you what books expect: a slow, run-heavy game between two offenses with quarterback questions.

Devin Singletary's fantasy value

Singletary becomes a viable RB2 or flex in this setup, and the reasoning is straightforward volume. With Skattebo and Tracy sidelined, there is no established back to split carries with him, and a Giants team protecting a lead would lean on the run. He has handled a lead-back workload before in his career, and his receiving ability keeps his floor stable in PPR formats.

The caveat is the low total. Fewer expected points means fewer touchdown chances, and Singletary's ceiling depends on finding the end zone. He is a better start in PPR than in standard scoring, and a better start in 12-team leagues than in 10-team leagues where managers have stronger alternatives.

The quarterback and passing game

The Giants have relied on J.J. McCarthy since acquiring him from Minnesota after Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury, according to local reports, and his limited production so far makes the Giants' passing game difficult to trust in fantasy. That reinforces the run-first expectation for Singletary.

On the Philadelphia side, Milton is a raw athlete with a big arm, which gives him some rushing upside but very little track record. Saquon Barkley has also been on and off the practice report this week, and the Eagles' passing attack without Smith is thin. The Giants' defense, which has been a strength this season, is a reasonable streaming play against a quarterback making his first start of the year.

The Verdexed angle

The game turns on which team can run the ball. A Giants win would push them further ahead in a division where the Eagles' season is slipping away. For the model's view of this matchup, including its pick, see the NFL predictions page and the Week 9 picks.

Matchup context for the run game

The Eagles' run defense has been part of the problem during their six-game losing streak, with an offense that cannot sustain drives putting the defense on the field for long stretches. That is a favorable setup for a volume back like Singletary, especially if the Giants build an early lead and lean on the clock. A low-scoring game also tends to concentrate touches among fewer players, which helps a back with no real competition for carries.

The risk to the thesis is turnovers. A Giants offense that gives Philadelphia short fields could flip the script and force more passing, which would reduce Singletary's carry total. Even in that scenario, his work as a receiver out of the backfield provides a reasonable floor in PPR formats.

What to do in your league

Bench Cam Skattebo unless he is surprisingly upgraded before Sunday. Start Devin Singletary as an RB2 or flex, especially in PPR. Consider the Giants D/ST as a streaming option against Milton. Avoid the rest of the Giants' passing game.

What's next

The bigger question is the trade market. The Giants are among the teams that have reportedly reached out to Indianapolis about Jonathan Taylor before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, and one prediction market had New York as the favorite to land him. If a deal happens, Singletary's role would shrink quickly, and Skattebo's long-term outlook would change. For now, Singletary is the one-week answer, and managers should add Gray only in the deepest leagues as a handcuff.