It's a big year for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who endured another injury-riddled season. Fantasy football managers who selected him in the hopes of seeing a bounce-back season were disappointed. However, given the All-Pro level talent he flashed as a rookie, it's understandable that some managers plan to go back to him in their drafts this year.
There are also some exciting developments from Giants camp this NFL offseason. New head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are utilizing Barkley on the field in new ways that should excite fantasy managers. Zach Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media has the details.
In terms of the on-field aspect, the biggest takeaway of the spring is how Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka plan to use Barkley on offense. We’ve already written about it extensively, but he was lining up as a receiver — both in the slot and outside — frequently throughout drills, and moved around a lot in pre-snap motion too. He was heavily targeted, though that doesn’t necessarily matter in this setting.
The Giants have been lining up Barkley as a wide receiver, both on the inside and outside. New York has also been moving the star halfback around in formations.
It's not something worth overreacting to. However, it's notable that the Giants are doing this for two reasons. More reps at receiver- and as a pass-catcher in general- could theoretically give Barkley a better chance at staying healthy, minimizing his between-the-tackles workload.
Also, fantasy football managers who play in PPR (Point Per Reception) formats will love this development. Barkley, who caught 91 passes back in 2018 as a rookie, could return to that level of production in this new offense.
This is an exciting development for his fantasy football prospects.
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