Saquon Barkley

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.

Saquon Barkley ‘making a lot of strides’, per Joe Judge

HC Joe Judge says Saquon Barkley is “making a lot of strides”.

Fantasy Impact

The Giants front office sees tangible progress every day. However, Judge wouldn’t say how close he is to returning to practice. On Thursday he was seen running routes, cutting, and sprinting. Currently he’s “mirroring” practice sessions to build up confidence for when he returns. The Giants re-signed Alfred Morris, which could mean the Giants are preparing for the case where Barkley isn’t ready at the start of the season. Regardless, fantasy managers have to accept the risk that he may not be available immediately. The talent is undeniable, and a top five pick when healthy, but it makes sense for the Giants to not want to rush their star back if not fully recovered. We will continue to monitor his status throughout camp.