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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Draft or Fade? The Saquon Barkley Dilemma

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

It was just a few years ago that the New York Giants turned the football world on its head and drafted Saquon Barkley second overall in the NFL Draft. They went against the “RB doesn’t matter” grain and took a generational talent. Giants fans may hate that they took him over Josh Allen, but hey, at least they didn’t draft Sam Darnold

Barkley made the Giants look smart in Year One when he rushed 261 times for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns - while adding 121 targets, 91 catches, 721 yards, and four scores. He finished as the RB1 in fantasy football as a rookie and went off the board as the top pick the following year. That season Barkley played well but was unable to duplicate the success he had as a rookie. Injuries did affect him, but he finished as the overall RB10 and the RB7 in fantasy PPG. Then the following season, he tore his ACL and then was slowed down by injuries again last year. 

It has been three seasons since Barkley’s RB1 year and two years since we have seen Barkley look like Barkley. But the question is - should fantasy managers go back for more in 2022?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Figuring Out the Saquon Barkley Dilemma 

Heading into the 2022 season, Barkley was more of a second-round pick in fantasy, but at times would go in the backend of the first round. This was with everyone knowing that he was in his first season coming off of the torn ACL. Barkley started off slow, but after the opening two weeks, he was starting to be utilized more in the passing game. In Weeks 3 and 4, Barkley rushed 29 times for 103 yards, far from great numbers. But he saw 13 targets, 11 catches, and 117 yards, with three total touchdowns in that span. He was starting to look like the Saquon of old and certainly got fantasy players who took the shot on him excited. And then came Week 5. Barkley stepped on the foot of a Cowboys defensive player and rolled his ankle, suffering a high ankle sprain that robbed him of that game and the four that followed. 

Barkley only got to play two games with Daniel Jones the rest of the season. He saw five or more targets in each of those games and in four of his first five back from injury, including games with eight and nine targets. The Giants' offense was anemic the rest of the way, but it was pleasant to see Barkley rush for 102 yards on 21 carries against the Bears in Week 17. This may sound like making excuses for Barkley, but it is hard to hold the second half of the season against him. He was not only still working his way back from the ACL surgery, but add a high ankle sprain and an offense led by Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm, with bad play-calling to boot, and you can see that he was set up for failure. 

The most common reason I see for avoiding Barkley is his injury history. I get it - it is definitely frustrating when a top pick is repeatedly used on a player and they continue to just miss time due to injury. But, context matters, especially before labeling a player as “injury-prone”. My favorite example of this is when people labeled Keenan Allen as such because he tore his ACL one year and then missed time due to a lacerated kidney the following year.

Our human brains try to make sense of stuff rather than admitting that injuries, like most things in life, are random. There is such thing as bad injury luck. To me, injury-prone means there is a repeated injury that forces a player to miss time. An ACL tear is a common NFL injury, but it is not one that we see repeatedly happening to the same players over and over again. As for the high ankle sprain, any player could step on the foot of another player and roll an ankle. This sort of injury screams unlucky. And you do not have to believe me, but when I tweeted about this, Saquon Barkley himself liked the tweet. 

Putting injuries aside for now, we have to look at Barkley’s situation as a whole. A lot has changed from last year to this season for Barkley and the New York Giants. First, they will have a new coach and potential play-caller in Brian Daboll. When it comes to Daboll, many people expect a pass-first offense after the last two years with the Bills. But Daboll only became pass-happy because he had an elite QB in Josh Allen.

I am not saying they will be towards the bottom of the league in pass attempts, as Daboll has expressed that passing is just more valuable than running the ball in today's NFL. But, prior to having an elite QB, Daboll always had a run-first offense. In fact, his offenses ranked inside the top-six in rush attempts in five of his six seasons as an OC without an elite Allen. They ranked inside the top-10 in rushing yards in four of those seasons. There should be plenty of carries to help propel Barkley back into RB1 status as long as he stays healthy.

The Giants also went out and signed Mark Glowinski, Jon Feliciano, Jamil Douglas, and Matt Gono to help solidify their offensive line. None are an elite type of player, but their offensive line was in need of a big overhaul after last season. It should be better than it was a year ago and simply cannot be worse. Better blocking upfront only makes like easier for Barkley, who last year managed just 0.6 yards gained before contact per carry. The Giants also did not bring in much running back depth behind Barkley. They let Devontae Booker, who had 185 touches last season, walk, and replaced him with Matt Breida. That indicates that the Giants have faith that Barkley will be able to carry the load for them once again. 

We know the volume will be there for Barkley as long as he is healthy. But as with anything in fantasy football, the draft cost determines if a player is worth drafting or not. And for Barkley, he is cheaper than ever. Even last year coming off the ACL injury, he was a borderline first-round pick. But this year, he doesn’t even sniff the first round. Currently, Barkley is the RB13 off the board in FFPC drafts, going 23rd overall on average. That means he is going as a high-end RB2, around the two-three turn in drafts. He is the RB14 going 25th overall in NFFC drafts and he is the RB14 going 27th overall in Underdog drafts. That means that for the first time since Barkley has entered the NFL, you do not need to pay an RB1 price to get him.

For the first time ever, he is not going inside the first 15 picks or so, and you can even nab him in the third round. He is cheaper than ever in fantasy drafts, showing that the risk of him potentially getting injured is already somewhat baked into his ADP. 

There is not a whole lot to like if we look at Barkley’s numbers from 2021. In drafting him, you need to show some faith that the once generational talent and former overall RB1 can regain his old form a year removed from surgery and with the high ankle sprain now well behind him. We have seen many running backs regain their old form after tearing their ACL and if Barkley is next, he will look like an absolute steal come the end of the season. But with him in a better situation health-wise as well as from a team and play-calling standpoint. He also should remain heavily utilized in the passing game, if what we saw last season is any indication. 

Some people may have already written off Barkley after what we saw from him in 2021. But, with him coming cheaper than ever and possessing the same upside that many got excited about a year ago, he is worth taking a shot on once again in fantasy football. 

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio



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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jamal Murray16 mins ago

Iffy For Tuesday
LeBron James26 mins ago

Ready To Play Against Rockets
Nikola Jokić32 mins ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play Against Timberwolves
Trae Young39 mins ago

Likely To Face Portland
Bradley Beal46 mins ago

Could Return On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo52 mins ago

Probable For Tuesday's Action
CJ McCollum53 mins ago

Shut Down For The Rest Of The Season
Denny McCarthy1 hour ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Zion Williamson1 hour ago

Won't Play Again This Season
Brian Harman1 hour ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Jaylin Williams1 hour ago

Back In Thunder Lineup Monday
Isaiah Hartenstein2 hours ago

Will Play On Monday
Chet Holmgren2 hours ago

Available Against Bulls
Dereck Lively II2 hours ago

Downgraded To Out Monday
Caleb Martin2 hours ago

Active On Monday
Daniel Gafford2 hours ago

Back In Action With Minutes Restriction
Lonzo Ball2 hours ago

Out Again On Monday
Ryan Weathers2 hours ago

Ramping Up His Throwing Progression
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

To Remain On Minutes Restriction Monday
Luke Kornet2 hours ago

Out With An Illness
Jaylen Brown2 hours ago

Skips Monday's Game
Cody Williams2 hours ago

Out On Monday
Bogdan Bogdanović3 hours ago

Bogdan Bogdanovic Cleared For Monday's Game
Davion Mitchell3 hours ago

Out Versus Wizards
Connor Norby3 hours ago

Progressing In Baseball Activities
Stuart Fairchild3 hours ago

Braves Acquire Stuart Fairchild From Reds
Jurickson Profar3 hours ago

Suspended 80 Games For PEDs
Andrew Nardi3 hours ago

Declan Cronin, Andrew Nardi Resume Throwing
Edward Cabrera3 hours ago

To Begin Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Ilya Samsonov3 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Lance McCullers Jr.3 hours ago

Throws Two Innings In First Rehab Start
Bailey Ober3 hours ago

Has Been Under The Weather
Tomas Hertl3 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Emilio Pagán4 hours ago

Emilio Pagan Looks To Be Favorite For Saves In Cincinnati
Garnet Hathaway4 hours ago

Rejoins Flyers Lineup
Gleyber Torres4 hours ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Erik Johnson4 hours ago

Available Monday
Eury Pérez4 hours ago

Eury Perez To Face Live Hitters On Tuesday
Rasmus Ristolainen4 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Ryan Preece4 hours ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
Jesse Chavez4 hours ago

Called Up, Hector Neris Cut
Colton Sissons4 hours ago

Likely Out For Rest Of The Season
Sean Murphy4 hours ago

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
NASCAR4 hours ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Jonathan Marchessault4 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Jose Altuve4 hours ago

Returns To Second Base On Monday
Todd Gilliland4 hours ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Jo Adell4 hours ago

Remains Out Against Cardinals
Francisco Lindor4 hours ago

Out On Monday For Birth Of His Son
Brandon Moreno4 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg5 hours ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober5 hours ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall5 hours ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos5 hours ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara5 hours ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox5 hours ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez5 hours ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton5 hours ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Dairon Blanco5 hours ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Vince Morales5 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.5 hours ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets5 hours ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Tobias Myers6 hours ago

Throws Sim Game, Nearing Rehab Assignment
Saimon Oliveira6 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brandon Woodruff6 hours ago

Set For Sim Game On Tuesday
David Martinez6 hours ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams6 hours ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Aaron Civale6 hours ago

Placed On 15-Day Injured List
Colton Cowser6 hours ago

To Miss At Least Six Weeks
Kevin Borjas6 hours ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk6 hours ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez6 hours ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen6 hours ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman7 hours ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki7 hours ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy7 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim7 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler7 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley7 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns7 hours ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger7 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Ludvig Aberg7 hours ago

Misses The Cut At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks8 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Keenan Allen9 hours ago

Chargers Not Ruling Out Reuniting With Keenan Allen
Breece Hall9 hours ago

Could Be Part Of Committee In 2025
James Cook9 hours ago

Bills Not Close To Extension With James Cook
Tyreek Hill9 hours ago

Dolphins Planning On Tyreek Hill Being Part Of Their Future
Baltimore Ravens9 hours ago

Ravens Expected To Draft A Kicker
Mark Andrews9 hours ago

Ravens Expect Mark Andrews Back In 2025
Lamar Jackson9 hours ago

Ravens Have Had Early Extension Talks With Lamar Jackson
Christopher Bell10 hours ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott10 hours ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson10 hours ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron11 hours ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano11 hours ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick11 hours ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Joseph Woll14 hours ago

Stands Tall On Sunday
UTA15 hours ago

Alex Kerfoot Leads The Way In Sunday's Victory
Tristan Jarry15 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Ottawa On Sunday
Sebastian Aho15 hours ago

Busy In Sunday's Victory
Anze Kopitar15 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Sunday
Troy Terry15 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Denny Hamlin16 hours ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs16 hours ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain16 hours ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe16 hours ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones16 hours ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Zach Wilson1 day ago

Still Views Himself As A Starter
New York Giants1 day ago

Victor Dimukeje Signs With Giants
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

Brian Schottenheimer Optimistic About Deal With Micah Parsons
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Continues Special Campaign With Hat Trick Of Assists
Nick Suzuki1 day ago

Notches Three Points In Sunday's Win
Robby Fabbri1 day ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Could Be An Option Sunday
Jordan Staal1 day ago

Will Not Play On Sunday
Evgeni Malkin1 day ago

Out Against Senators
Justin Fields1 day ago

Aaron Glenn Thinks Justin Fields Is Ready To Break Out
Dak Prescott1 day ago

"Doing Great" In Rehab From Hamstring Surgery
Jacksonville Jaguars1 day ago

Fred Johnson Signs With Jacksonville
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Titans Still Entertaining Calls For No. 1 Overall Pick
Karel Vejmelka1 day ago

Makes 17th Consecutive Start Sunday
Arvid Soderblom1 day ago

Tries To End Four-Game Skid Sunday
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

Deadline Coming For Brandon Aiyuk
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres3 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum3 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
Jhonattan Vegas5 days ago

Not A Good Play At Houston Open
Gary Woodland5 days ago

A Dark-Horse Candidate At Houston Open
Nick Taylor5 days ago

Keep An Eye On Nick Taylor At Houston Open
Mackenzie Hughes5 days ago

Avoid Mackenzie Hughes At Houston Open
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looking To Rebound At Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Returns To Houston Looking For Year's First Victory
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Making Additional Start At Houston Open To Prepare For Augusta
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

HuThe NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]