May 12, 2021

Saquon Barkley has fallen victim to the injury bug two years in a row now, but that should not stop you from drafting him in the top-five of redraft leagues. When he is healthy, Barkley is pound for pound the best all-around running back in the NFL. As a rookie, Barkley dropped an incredible stat line of 261 carries for 1,307 yards (5.0 YPC), 11 touchdowns, and 91 receptions for 721 yards and 4 touchdowns to finish as the overall RB1. In year two, he suffered a high-ankle sprain and tried to come back too early. However, when he was finally back to near 100% at the end of the season, he averaged 180 all-purpose yards, 1.6 touchdowns, and 31.6 ppg in his last three games, and rushed the ball at a clip of 6.2 YPC. 2020 was supposed to be his year, but he suffered a torn ACL in Week 2, ending his season. Barkley enters 2021 with a monstrous chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove if he wants to earn an elite-level contract extension. He is finally fully healthy, and the Giants have added offensive weapons like Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney to help take the pressure off Barkley and keep defenses honest. This is a make-or-break year for quarterback Daniel Jones, and he would be wise to lean on Barkley as much as he can. The Giants need Barkley back in a major way after finishing 26th in both rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns, so he should be a lock for 250+ carries and a floor of 60 receptions. If he can stay healthy, there is no reason that he won't finish as the elite fantasy running back that we know he can be.--Frank Dyevoich, Esq.