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Saquon Barkley, a former second-overall pick in the NFL draft, is now entering his fifth season with the New York Giants with a lot to prove.
Barkley was one of the best prospects we have ever seen during his time at Penn State and was one of the best running backs in the NFL as early as his rookie year. After putting up 2,028 total yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season, Barkley has struggled to stay healthy and has not put up the type of production fantasy managers have expected of him, as he has been a consensus first-round fantasy pick through his first four seasons.
Now, the 25-year-old can be had in the second round of fantasy drafts despite being fully healthy and in possibly the best situation during his time with the Giants. In this article, we will look at what can be expected in terms of Barkley’s usage and if he can produce RB1 numbers for fantasy managers.
What Will Saquon Barkley’s Workload Be?
Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports that Barkley is in line for a “huge workload” this season considering there isn't much depth behind him in the New York backfield. As long as he is healthy, which he is, he should be among the league leaders in touches at the running back position.
The Giants reportedly have big plans for Saquon Barkley this season if he can stay healthy https://t.co/momJd6g5dz
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 16, 2022
Going back to 2018, Barkley handled an astronomical 352 touches, 91 of which were receptions. Head coach Brian Daboll has made it known he would like to get his best playmaker on offense the ball in space more this season and try to emulate his usage from when he had his most success.
In 2019, he played in 13 games but was still able to handle 269 touches, which was good for 20.6 per game and a 331 pace over a full season. It shouldn't be a question if he can handle a significant workload like this because we have seen him do it in the past. Sure, there are some questions about his health, but this is the healthiest he has been since the 2019 season.
Now that Barkley had a full offseason of training instead of trying to get healthy, we should see his workload get back to the 20+ touch per game range rather than the 15 touches he averaged in 2021.
Is Saquon Barkley Still an RB1?
When you consider the talent, potential workload, an improved scheme, and an improved offensive line, the simple answer is yes. Barkley should be able to produce RB1 numbers once again.
The only RBs I would draft ahead of Saquon Barkley: CMC, JT, Ekeler, Cook, Mixon.
Still just 25. Now that Saquon is free of Judge & Garrett he is going to rise up the ranks faster than Justin Bieber after YouTube.pic.twitter.com/CxZK0tmT2m
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) August 14, 2022
Raanan has reported that the strength of the Giants' offensive line looks to be their run-blocking. This is very encouraging news considering Barkley has been able to average 5.0 and 4.6 yards per carry behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines from 2018-2019.
Given the improvements to his offensive line and his likely significant role as a pass-catcher, Barkley not only has a high floor, but he also has a high ceiling because of this. Fantasy managers can feel comfortable with him as their RB1.
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