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The New York Giants have forestalled a holdout from running back Saquon Barkley by signing him to a one-year deal worth up to $11 million, just $900,000 more than he would have made on the franchise tag.
After Barkley had his best season since 2018 last year, the Giants and the 26-year-old running back were unable to reach a long-term deal. The Giants franchised him, but Barkley refused to sign the tender and threatened to hold out.
This short-term deal is not what Barkley was hoping for, but it is good for fantasy managers. Barkley will report to training camp and play another season with Big Blue. Should you draft Saquon Barkley in the top five of your fantasy football draft?
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Is Saquon Barkley a Top-Five Pick in Fantasy Football?
Barkley finished as the RB5 last season even while he set a career-high in rushing yards. He ranked fourth in rushing yards, but eight running backs scored more rushing touchdowns than him, and six caught more passes.
Each of the four RBs who outscored Barkley is still in the league, although Josh Jacobs is also threatening a holdout, and young prospects like incoming rookie Bijan Robinson and Cowboys RB Tony Pollard could make a run for the top five. So Barkley's status as a top-five running back isn't guaranteed.
If you add other offensive players into the mix, Barkley falls further away from the top five overall picks. He finished behind six wide receivers and one tight end, Travis Kelce. In Superflex leagues, multiple quarterbacks would also be worthy of being drafted in the top half of the first round.
No, Saquon Barkley is not worthy of a top-five fantasy pick, but he could be a good pick in the late first round or early second round.
Saquon Barkley 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
Under head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, the Giants ran the ball heavily, finishing No. 8 in carries and No. 4 in rushing yards. Those numbers are inflated somewhat by quarterback Daniel Jones rushing the ball 120 times, but Barkley still carried the rock 295 times.
Barkley was also the Giants' leading pass catcher, but he wasn't efficient at turning those catches into yards or touchdowns. He only averaged 5.9 yards per reception, the lowest total of his career. He was targeted at a career-low of 4.4 yards per pass.
Worst of all, he didn't score a single receiving touchdown despite having the second-most catches of his career. If he plays as well this season as he did last season, he will most likely see a positive regression and score a couple of receiving touchdowns.
To illustrate how strange it is that Barkley scored zero touchdowns on 57 catches, take a look at last season's leading running backs. Of those who caught 50 or more passes, nine out of 11 scored at least one touchdown, and seven scored multiple touchdowns. The average running back in that group caught 3.4 touchdown passes.
Barkley should remain one of the NFL rushing leaders, and he will likely add a couple of touchdowns. He will be a contender--albeit not a favorite--for the RB1 title, but there are a handful of running backs who will have a higher likelihood of finishing as RB1.
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