One of the most dynasty players in football, Saquon Barkley’s talent is unquestionable when he’s healthy. But that’s become a problem over his time in the NFL, his health. After a season-ending injury in 2020, there are questions surrounding Barkley’s availability to start the new campaign. When will Saquon Barkley return from his injury?
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When will Saquon Barkley Return from Injury?
RB Saquon Barkley among the players who didn’t practice Wednesday at Fan Fest. HC Joe Judge said this was planned as a “pull-back day” for Barkley after two straight practices.
Fantasy Impact:
Barkley came off the team’s PUP list and began practicing earlier this week, but after just two practices HC Joe Judge decided he needed a recovery day. While final returning to practice was a big step in the right direction for Barkley and his 2021 availability, there is still no guarantee that Barkley will be ready by Week 1. It’s likely he will be on some level of a pitch count to start the season, with the Giants wanting to take a conservative approach with his initial usage. Regardless, when Barkley is on the field he is arguably one of the best backs in the league and a huge focal point of the Giants’ offense. When healthy he has top five fantasy upside, but Barkley’s ADP has fallen towards the end of the first round due to the uncertainty surrounding his health. With the Giants already beginning load-management, fantasy managers must be cautious and weigh the upside versus the downside of drafting him among the other top-tier running backs.
Related News
- Saquon Barkley set to come off PUP list and begin practicing with Giants
- Saquon Barkley still has no definite timetable for a return per Giants
- Saquon Barkley ‘making a lot of strides’, per Joe Judge
- Saquon Barkley and the Giants to take ‘long term’ approach
- Saquon Barkley (knee) to begin training camp on PUP list
What the Experts are Saying
From a talent perspective, Saquon Barkley is the best RB in the NFL when he’s on the field. Unfortunately, the issue has been staying on the field the past two seasons. Barkley has played 15 out of a possible 32 games, which makes him a very risky investment at the top of your draft. For fantasy managers to have a shot of competing deep into their playoffs, they need their top draft pick to pull their weight all season long. As the RB3 in ECR right now, that’s too high of a cost for Barkley that doesn’t take into account his injury history whatsoever. As a late first-round draft pick, the risk is worth the reward. A top-3 pick in your fantasy football draft might be a little bit too rich.
– Kyle Yates
Current Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) and Average Draft Position (ADP)
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