Giants Release Najee Harris: Fantasy Impact on Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr.

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Update: Giants confirm Najee Harris release

The New York Giants have released Najee Harris. NFL.com’s Tuesday league roundup lists Harris among the Giants’ roster cuts, moving the story from attributed reporting to a confirmed transaction.

The practical impact is unchanged but now definitive: Harris is no longer part of New York’s Week 7 backfield, leaving Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. as the central fantasy-relevant options. Football Nation will not force a precise workload split until the Giants provide fresh practice and game-plan evidence.

Football Nation’s conclusion: the release removes one source of role uncertainty, but it does not automatically guarantee a workhorse share for either remaining back. The next checkpoints are Week 7 practice participation, the final injury report and the inactive list.

Editorial illustration of a veteran running back leaving a New York football stadium while three backs remain — Original Football Nation USA illustration.

The New York Giants are reportedly releasing veteran running back Najee Harris, a move that removes one name from a crowded backfield but does not automatically create a single every-down fantasy option.

NFL.com reported the pending release on Tuesday, October 20. At publication time, the Giants had not yet added the move to their official transaction tracker, so the transaction should be treated as reported until the club confirms it.

Najee Harris release: What happened

The Giants signed Harris on August 18 while he continued working back from the Achilles injury that ended his 2025 season with the Los Angeles Chargers. His New York stint produced 31 carries for 99 yards, a 3.2-yard average, with no rushing touchdowns according to the Giants' official player log.

Harris started Sunday's 34-27 loss to New Orleans but managed two yards on four carries. After the game, he expressed frustration with the rotation and his difficulty establishing rhythm, according to Reuters. Two days later, NFL Network reported that New York was moving on from the 28-year-old.

The move closes a short chapter for a runner who opened his career with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Pittsburgh. It also leaves Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary as the established backs on the active roster, pending another signing or promotion.

Updated Giants backfield outlook

Before the reported release, the Giants' official depth chart listed Skattebo first, followed by Tracy, Harris and Singletary. Harris' departure reduces the rotation from four experienced options to three, but New York's recent usage makes the pecking order less certain than the depth chart suggests.

Cam Skattebo: 81 carries for a team-high 294 rushing yards and one touchdown through six weeks, but he did not record a carry against New Orleans.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.: Six carries for 18 yards and a rushing score in Week 6, plus two catches for 27 yards and another touchdown.
Devin Singletary: A veteran depth option whose value would rise if New York continues limiting Skattebo or adds no immediate replacement.
Najee Harris: A drop candidate in ordinary redraft leagues unless a new landing spot creates a clear path to touches.

Fantasy football impact

Cam Skattebo: Hold, but do not assume a workhorse role

Skattebo remains the most accomplished 2026 rusher in this backfield and the first name on the published depth chart. Removing Harris creates more available carries, but Skattebo's zero-carry Week 6 is an important warning. Fantasy managers should hold him and view him as a volatile RB2 or flex until practice reports and the opening series in Houston show that he has regained the lead role.

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: The best immediate add

Tracy supplied both of New York's running back touchdowns Sunday and handled useful work as both a runner and receiver. His eight-touch, 45-yard day was not high volume, but his passing-game utility gives him the cleanest route to PPR value if the Giants narrow the rotation. He is the priority waiver add from this backfield and a flex candidate, not yet an automatic weekly starter.

Devin Singletary: Watch-list value

Singletary should move one spot up the depth chart, but that alone does not guarantee startable volume. He is worth a speculative bench spot in deep leagues and should remain on watch lists elsewhere. His role will be easier to judge after New York's first full practice and any corresponding roster move.

Najee Harris: Bench only in deep formats

Harris' résumé will attract interest, but fantasy value depends entirely on his next team and health evaluation. Managers in 10- and 12-team redraft leagues can move on unless they have unusually deep benches. Dynasty managers can hold while the waiver and free-agent process plays out.

What to watch before Giants-Texans in Week 7

New York visits Houston on Sunday, October 25. The Giants are 3-2-1, while the Texans enter at 2-4 after consecutive wins. With uncertainty at quarterback and running back, fantasy managers should focus on roles rather than projections early in the week.

Who takes the first first-team running back reps in practice.
Whether Skattebo is restored to the opening lineup after receiving no Week 6 carries.
Whether Tracy keeps the passing-down and goal-line work he converted into two touchdowns.
Whether New York signs a veteran, promotes a practice-squad back or enters Houston with only the current trio.

The practical takeaway: Harris' exit improves the opportunity outlook for Skattebo and Tracy, but it does not settle the backfield. Tracy is the stronger waiver target for immediate PPR help; Skattebo is the stronger hold if the Giants restore his early-season workload.