X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Deep Dive: Why Is Saquon Barkley Struggling?

Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, Draft Sleepers

A major storyline this season was the return of New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley. Infamously selected with the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, Barkley has been perceived as a generational talent since he was at Penn State. I mean, how many players can carry a fringe first-round average draft position (according to Fantasy Data) after missing most of the previous season with a torn ACL and MCL?

Yet, that's where we were with Barkley. Coming off of the injury, the 24-year-old was expected to start out slow, but the expectation by his supporters was that he'd eventually be a league-winning running back being discounted due to the injury.

That, unfortunately, has not happened. Barkley, who has missed extra time due to injury, is only the RB41 currently and is outside the top-30 in fantasy points/game. In other words, it's safe to say he's been a disappointment based on his average draft position. With that in mind, it makes sense to look into why Barkley is struggling. Is it his own doing, a fault of the team, or something else? Moreover, how does this affect his outlook moving forward in both redraft and dynasty? We'll answer all of that here!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

Stats via Pro Football Focus

 

Barkley's Struggles

After averaging 4.83 yards/carry over the first two years of his career, Barkley had established himself as one of the most efficient backs in the NFL. That hasn't been the case this year, however. Currently, he is only averaging 3.8 yards/carry and hasn't rushed for 60 yards in a single game. That, given his overall talent, is quite surprising.

Some of this falls on Barkley. His 64.3 PFF rushing grade ranks 47th at the position, while his 2.89 yards after contact/carry is the lowest of his career. However, it is safe to say the circumstances aren't great either. The Giants are Pro Football Focus' ninth-worst run-blocking unit, while the offense ranks just 28th in points/game (17.6). Especially with quarterback Daniel Jones out of the lineup, defenses can key in on the RB, and his support isn't great. In other words, he's not doing his part, but the situation isn't helping him flourish.

Then, there is Barkley's receiving production, which has been even more disappointing. His 49.3 PFF receiving grade ranks 60th of 65 qualified running backs, while he's averaging barely over a yard per route run. The good news? A good portion of this is due to his 11.8% drop rate, which is double what it was previously. We can expect positive regression there over time, which will be key in PPR formats. He's still not the same weapon after the catch (7.3 yards after catch/reception), but he should see improvement in the receiving game over time.

 

Not Being Used Properly?

When you think of Barkley, do you think of a big-play threat or a between-the-tackles plodder? Considering he ranks in the 99th percentile in speed score, according to Player Profiler, I hope it's the former.

That's how Barkley was used for his first two years, as seen by his zone-rushing percentage by year:

  • 2018: 67.4% Zone
  • 2019: 55.76% Zone
  • 2020: 47.81% Zone

Notice the consistent decline in the amount of zone rush attempts he's getting, which aligns with a decrease in his efficiency. Barkley is no longer being used as a home-run threat, and it's clearly having an effect on his overall effectiveness.

According to Pro Football Focus, 42% of Barkley's carries have come out the middle. That is precisely how he should not be used. New York's interior offensive line, Will Hernandez, Matt Skura, and Billy Price, all rate out as below-average run-blockers. For perspective, only 26.4% and 31.8% of his carries came up the middle in 2019 and 2020, respectively. It's time for him to be used on the edge again. If not, this offense has little chance of any explosiveness, and Barkley's rushing numbers will continue to suffer.

 

Barkley's Elite Utilization

Despite all of this, Barkley remains a player that needs to be in your lineup on a weekly basis.

Why? His elite utilization. Per Dwain McFarland of Pro Football Focus, here are usage numbers over the past two weeks:

  • Week 12: 87% snaps, 54% rush attempts,  72% routes, 17% targets
  • Week 13: 75% snaps, 65% rush attempts, 71% routes, 24% targets

Barkley is also being targeted on 21% of his routes this season; this is what we call elite usage. Thus, he's able to accumulate volume statistics; he has 20 targets over his past three games, and 32 carries over his past two games. This is why we continue to have faith in Barkley moving forward. When you have such an elite talent being used like this, a blow-up game is coming. The question is, when is it?

 

Overview

So, should we maintain faith in Barkley?

With a favorable matchup against the Chargers this week, I could see Barkley being a top-10 back. However, for the rest of the season, he's going to be much closer to a RB2. A change to offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens could spark different utilization, but thus far, he's continued to be hammered up the middle on his carries, hurting his efficiency. Remember, it's not like he has much touchdown upside playing for an ineffective offense.

I fully trust Barkley's talent, even after the injury. In my opinion, this is a case of being in a position to fail, which is precisely what is happening. This offseason will be a great time to buy-low on him in dynasty formats, while he should be someone you look to target at a discounted price in redraft formats in 2022. A new offense next season should mean much better things for Barkley, which will come at the relief of all of us. I, for one, can say that I prefer when the game's premium talents are utilized to their strengths, and that isn't happening currently with Barkley. With that, all we can do is hope for better days ahead in 2022 and the years beyond that.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cedric Tillman43 mins ago

Suffers Head Injury On Thursday Night
Wendell Carter Jr.2 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura2 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg3 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir3 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes3 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA3 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo3 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan3 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi3 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum4 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Alexander Mattison4 hours ago

Zamir White Miss Practice Again
Brandon Ingram4 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani4 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge4 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter4 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo4 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley5 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson5 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson5 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins5 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis5 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul5 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy5 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk5 hours ago

Making Progress
George Kittle5 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann5 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges5 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Vince Williams Jr.5 hours ago

Out At Least A Month
Scottie Barnes6 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin6 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Paul George6 hours ago

Out At Least Two Games
Aaron Gordon6 hours ago

Availability In Question For Friday
Zach Hyman6 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson6 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov6 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts6 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Mikael Granlund6 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev6 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB6 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen7 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson7 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta7 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold7 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco7 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift7 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb7 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey7 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans8 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith9 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger9 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks9 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb10 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
10 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Aaron Rodgers10 hours ago

Jets Owner Suggested Benching Aaron Rodgers
Mike Evans12 hours ago

Practicing Again On Thursday
Chandler Stephenson13 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson13 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist13 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies13 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund13 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine13 hours ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale1 day ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal1 day ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat1 day ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Josh Jacobs1 day ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith1 day ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Seth Jones1 day ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold1 day ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Connor Ingram1 day ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen1 day ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
Alex Tuch1 day ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson1 day ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Jordan Eberle1 day ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
Ludvig Aberg1 day ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole1 day ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
2 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri2 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
2 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
2 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
2 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
2 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil3 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes3 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer3 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
3 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
3 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones5 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP