Pat Ragazzo offers his Saquon Barkley 2021 Fantasy Football Tip And Outlook. See The Game Day’s full 2021 fantasy football draft coverage.
Saquon Barkley 2021 Fantasy Football Tip
Saquon Barkley 2020 Fantasy Football Recap
Saquon Barkley 2020 Fantasy Football Ranking (PPR)
476th Overall, RB115 (per FantasyPros)
Saquon Barkley 2020 Stats:
- 19 carries
- 34 rushing yards
- 0 rushing touchdowns
- 1.8 yards per carry
- 6 receptions
- 60 receiving yards
- 0 receiving touchdowns
- 10.0 yards per reception
- 2 games
Saquon Barkley 2021 Fantasy Football Outlook
After being slowed by a high ankle sprain for much of 2019, Saquon Barkley tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 regular season, which kept him out for the remainder of the year. Barkley’s injury was a killer for fantasy managers who likely spent a top-two pick on him in fantasy drafts, as they barely got any production out of him.
After nearly a full year to recover, Barkley is expected to be ready by Week 1 of the regular season. He’s expected to lead the Giants’ backfield again, although New York may go with a more pass-heavy attack after signing top receiver Kenny Golladay this offseason. The Giants may also look to limit Barkley’s workload a bit after losing him for significant chunks of each of the last two seasons.
New York exercised Barkley’s fifth-year option this offseason, so there is a lot riding on his performance in 2021. He’ll return to an improved offensive line and a Giants offense that has put several impressive pieces around quarterback Daniel Jones, which should take some of the pressure off Barkley as well. This will also be Barkley’s first full season under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who will need to find ways to get the most out of his star running back.
When looking at statistical projections next season, the biggest key for Barkley is health. If he can stay on the field, he should be able to surpass 1,000 rushing yards for the third time in four seasons. He also should be significantly involved in the passing game, although perhaps not as much as in the past given the presence of Golladay, Sterling Shepherd, Darius Slayton, and Evan Engram.
If healthy and in a potent offense, Barkley still has the potential to be one of the best running backs in the NFL. Based on his first two seasons, he’s certainly capable of topping 1,000 rushing yards, 70-80 receptions, and double-digit touchdowns.
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Saquon Barkley 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Value (PPR)
Last season, Barkley and Christian McCaffrey were the top two players selected in most fantasy drafts. Barkley’s fantasy stock is a bit lower this year coming off of knee surgery, but he’s still projected to be one of the top running backs off the board and a likely top-five pick.
Barkley’s value is still extremely high as a top-end RB1, thus meriting a substantial investment on draft day. While last year was a disappointment, there’s a good chance Barkley returns to the top of the fantasy leaderboards this year, making him worthy of an early first-round selection once again.
