Giants Lock Up Jon Runyan Jr. — What It Means for Jameis Winston
New York handed the guard a two-year, $22M extension days after re-upping Jameis Winston. Here's the fantasy read on both moves.
Better protection helps, but 45 PPR pts over 3 games isn't startable yet.
- Runyan Jr. inks 2-year, $22M extension
- 79 career starts across 96 appearances
- Full-time Giants starter since 2024
- Winston: 45 PPR pts in 3 games (2025)
- Winston trending -3.5 pts vs season avg (last 5, 2025)
The Giants aren't done reshaping their roster this offseason. Days after extending quarterback Jameis Winston on a two-year deal, they gave left guard Jon Runyan Jr. a two-year, $22 million extension, per agent Drew Rosenhaus. The announcement keeps a full-time starter in place up front — and that matters more for your fantasy roster than the position usually suggests.
Runyan Jr., a sixth-round pick of the Packers back in 2020, has been a fixture on the Giants' line since 2024. His career résumé is steady if unspectacular: 96 regular-season appearances with 79 starts over six seasons. He's slated to start at left guard when New York hosts the Cowboys next Sunday night, the first Sunday nighter of the new year.
The lineage is worth a nod — his father, Jon Runyan, was a longtime NFL tackle. And the fact that coach John Harbaugh signed off on this deal tells you the staff views the younger Runyan as part of the fix for a franchise that's churned through six head coaches since its last Super Bowl in 2011.
Why Offensive Line News Is Fantasy News
Nobody's drafting guards. But a stable, extended interior line directly affects the guys you did draft — namely, whoever's taking snaps behind it. Winston is the obvious beneficiary here, and the two extensions landing back-to-back signal the Giants want continuity between quarterback and protection. That's the kind of stability that can quietly raise a passer's floor.
The problem is Winston hasn't given fantasy managers much to work with yet. Across three games in 2025 he put up 567 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, plus a rushing score and even a receiving touchdown — good for 45 PPR points total. He's currently unranked in our TurfSplit rankings, and his form is pointing the wrong way: he's averaged 3.5 fantasy points below his season mark over his last five games (2025).
The verdict: this is a WATCH, not a plug-and-play move. Better protection is a genuine positive, and a settled left guard plus a two-year commitment to Winston means the Giants are building something around him. But until Winston strings together startable outings, keep him on your radar — not in your lineup. Runyan Jr. himself, of course, stays where he's always been: off your fantasy board entirely.
