It's official. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz has a torn patellar tendon in his right knee and will have season-ending surgery, leaving quarterback Eli Manning without his favorite target.
Or at least one of his favorites.
Turns out Cruz wasn't even the Giants' most-targeted receiver through the first six games. Rueben Randle was and becomes the clear No. 1 with Cruz out. He again led the way in targets with nine Week 6 at Philadelphia. He had a modest 58 yards on five catches, but let's not forget Manning threw for only 151.
Odell Beckham probably gets the biggest bump with Cruz's injury. Playing only his second game after missing the first four with a hamstring injury, he was targeted four times in Week 6, catching two passes for 28 yards. But he was on the field for 88 percent of the Giants snaps and showed his playmaking ability in Week 5, even scoring a touchdown. On a day when the Giants don't face a defense playing at its best, Beckham could impress.
Tight end Larry Donnell could get back to being a bigger part of the game plan with Cruz down. After catching 25 passes for 236 yards in the Giants' first four games, he has just one catch for 6 yards in their last two. He's probably already owned in your league, as is Randle, but Cruz's injury is enough incentive to stick with him a little longer.