Dealing with Giants' Donnell

PROBABLY ONLY one person in the world is ashamed for not playing Giants tight end Larry Donnell last week.

Larry Donnell himself.

Not only is Donnell a hot, young prospect in real football - he torched the Redskins for three touchdowns last week - he's also a fantasy player.

Against Washington, he had seven catches for 54 yards and those three first-half TDs. About the only thing he did wrong last week was start Vernon Davis over Larry Donnell. It cost him a win.

"I gotta get myself off the bench," he said, laughing. "Some people wanna trade me for me, but I can't trade myself."

Donnell, pronounced Dunn-ell, plays in a 12-team league with friends back home and picked himself in the final round. It's been only a month, but Donnell is second among tight ends in TDs (four), third in receptions (25) and tied for fourth in targets (31). He's not Jimmy Graham, but he's not bad, either.

Thirteen tight ends were drafted in 2011. Donnell, who had a modest career at Grambling State (38 catches in 28 games), was not one of them. A partial tear in his right Achilles' limited him to four games his senior season and caused all 32 NFL teams to look elsewhere.

Donnell latched on to the Giants in 2012 and spent a year on the practice squad. He heaped praise on Mike Pope, the Giants' longtime assistant who was fired after last year's disappointing season in New York. Pope now coaches in Dallas.

"Coach Pope was everything to me, man," Donnell said. "He groomed me to be the player I am."

Coach Pope probably wasn't happy with Donnell when the Giants visited Philadelphia last season. Donnell caught a touchdown pass, except he was a couple of feet out of bounds. The Giants had to settle for a field goal, but walked off with a 15-7 victory.

"I wanted to take my stuff off and get right back onto the bus," Donnell said.

The Giants are in town next week (Oct. 12) for a Sunday night game that promises to be the usual insanity in South Philly.

Donnell hasn't been in the NFL that long, but already has a sense of the NFC East. Even though the division isn't terribly strong this season, the juice of playing historic rivals never wanes. In his first NFC East game this year, against Washington, Donnell became the first Giants tight end since 1962 to score three touchdowns in a game.

"When I went out onto the field, I had 98 percent [battery] in my phone," he said, laughing. "When I came in after the game, it was completely dead from all the phone calls and texts and tweets and 'likes' and everything. It was crazy."

So, to the 11 guys in his league, don't bother offering Larry Donnell anything for Larry Donnell. He's not interested in dealing. Go somewhere else. He's untouchable.

Well, almost untouchable.

What if someone offered you Peyton Manning?

"That's a tough one," he said, laughing again. "I'd probably have to consider that one."

Congratulations to loyal reader Ken Jones, who won last week's contest.

We asked readers to project Frank Gore's rushing yardage against the Eagles. Jones, from the appropriately named town of Birdsboro, Pa., guessed 112, which was closest to Gore's actual total of 119.

Jones will get a Daily News fantasy football T-shirt for his effort. We'll probably have another contest next week.

POSITION WATCH

Quarterback: In his last six games against AFCopponents, Tony Romo has 12 touchdown passes and one interception. It's a small sign that he doesn't force throws as often. Romo and the Cowboys host J.J. Watt and the Texans. The Daily News has Romo as the 10th best QB option this week. Nick Foles has won his last six starts at home, posting 11 TDs and only two picks in that span.

Running back: Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt has pledged that rookie Bishop Sankey will get a healthy dose of the work this week. If so, Sankey becomes a midlevel RB2 against the Browns, who were last seen getting trucked for 154 yards and a TD by Baltimore's backs 2 weeks ago ... Three things to know about Carolina's Darrin Reaves: 1) he's starting this week because of all the Panthers' injuries; 2) skipped his senior season but went undrafted; 3) is about to be the first running back from the University of Alabama-Birmingham to carry the ball in an NFL game. UAB alum Roddy White has nine career rushes, but he's a wide receiver ... Detroit's Reggie Bush should be started against visiting Buffalo with Joique Bell still battling a concussion. The last time Bush had 20 touches in a game was Week 12 last year, when he had 117 rushing yards and 65 more in receiving.

Wide receiver: Cincinnati's Marvin Jones should be rostered in all 12-team leagues, but hold off on playing him for now. He did something to his left

ankle in practice this week. Jones broke his foot on Aug. 9. At his best, he's a low-end WR2 ... A couple of folks in yesterday's chat wondered whether to bench Calvin Johnson after his two-target outing last Sunday. Sure hope my opponent in one of my leagues is thinking the same thing. For heaven's sakes, do not bench him ... Jeremy Maclin ended up 4-57 Sunday. An 11-yard catch by Brad Smith originally was credited to Maclin ... I happen to think San Diego's Eddie Royal is a legit WR3 with Danny Woodhead gone for the year. It is worth pointing out, however, that only nine of his 22 career receiving touchdowns have come after September. That's nine TDs in 62 games.

Kicker: The Broncos will have a decision to make at kicker after Sunday's game. Matt Prater is due to come off the suspended list, but Temple product Brandon McManus has kicked well in his place. Prater counts $3.8 million against the cap. McManus is at $420,000.

ADDS/DROPS

The most popular (and unpopular) players on the waiver wire this week, according to CBSSports.com:

Most added

1. Eddie Royal, WR, Chargers

2. Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings

3. Eagles defense/special teams

4. Cowboys  defense/special teams

5. Browns  defense/special teams

Most dropped

1. Dolphins  defense/special teams

2. Niles Paul, TE, Redskins

3. Colts  defense/special teams

4. Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins

5. Bobby Rainey, RB, Buccaneers

WEEK 5 RANKINGS (Posted yesterday)

QUARTERBACKS

1. Peyton Manning, Broncos: vs. Ariz.

2. Drew Brees, Saints: vs. TB

3. Andrew Luck, Colts: vs. Balt.

4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: vs. Min.

5. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: @Jax

6. Matthew Stafford, Lions: vs. Buf

7. Philip Rivers, Chargers: vs. NYJ

8. Jay Cutler, Bears: @Caro.

9. Matt Ryan, Falcons: @NYG

10. Tony Romo, Cowboys: vs. Hou

RUNNING BACKS (Based on point-per-reception scoring)

1. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys: vs. Hou.

2. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs: @SF

3. Le'Veon Bell, Steelers: @Jax

4. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks: @Wash.

5. Matt Forte, Bears: @Caro.

6. LeSean McCoy, Eagles: vs. StL

7. Montee Ball, Broncos: vs. Ariz.

8. Giovani Bernard, Bengals: @NE

9. Eddie Lacy, Packers: vs. Min.

10. Rashad Jennings, Giants: vs. Atl.

11. Frank Gore, 49ers: vs. KC

12. Alfred Morris, Redskins: vs. Sea.

13. Reggie Bush, Lions: vs. Buf.

14. i-A. Foster/A. Blue, Texans: @Dal.

15. Zac Stacy, Rams: @Phil.

16. Andre Ellington, Cardinals: @Den.

17. Chris Ivory, Jets: @SD

18. Matt Asiata, Vikings: @GB

19. Doug Martin, Buccaneers: @NO

20. C.J. Spiller, Bills: @Det.

WIDE RECEIVERS (Based on point-per-reception scoring)

1. Dez Bryant, Cowboys: vs. Hou.

2. Calvin Johnson, Lions: vs. Buf.

3. i-A.J. Green, Bengals: @NE

4. Antonio Brown, Steelers: @Jax

5. Jordy Nelson, Packers: vs. Min.

6. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos: vs. Ariz.

7. Julio Jones, Falcons: @NYG

8. Randall Cobb, Packers: vs. Min.

9. Keenan Allen, Chargers: vs. NYJ

10. Andre Johnson, Texans: @Dal.

11. Reggie Wayne, Colts: vs. Balt.

12. Alshon Jeffery, Bears: @Caro.

13. Roddy White, Falcons: @NYG

14. Steve Smith, Ravens: @Ind.

15. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles: vs. StL

16. Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos: vs. Ariz.

17. Percy Harvin, Seahawks: @Wash.

18. Michael Floyd, Cardinals: @Den.

19. Victor Cruz, Giants: vs. Atl.

20. i-Michael Crabtree, 49ers: vs. KC

TIGHT ENDS

1. Jimmy Graham, Saints: vs. TB

2. Julius Thomas, Broncos: vs. Ariz.

3. Martellus Bennett, Bears: @Caro.

4. i-Jordan Cameron, Browns: @Ten.

5. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: vs. Cin.

6. Antonio Gates, Chargers: vs. NYJ

7. Larry Donnell, Giants: vs. Atl.

8. Zach Ertz, Eagles: vs. StL

9. i-Vernon Davis, 49ers: vs. KC

10. Travis Kelce, Chiefs: @SF

i: Dealing with injury

Niles Paul last week and not Larry Donnell (grrrr), has been writing about fantasy football in the Daily News since 2001.