The New York Giants’ offense has shown signs of life since the return of star RB Saquon Barkley. Unfortunately, Barkley picked up an elbow injury against the Washington Commanders last week. How will his injury impact the Giants’ offense and fantasy football lineups heading into their matchup against the New York Jets?

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Latest Injury Update on Saquon Barkley

According to a recent report from Dan Salomone, Barkley was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. Fantasy managers should continue to check the injury report as the week progresses to monitor his work heading into Sunday’s game.

Will Barkley Play This Week?

Barkley has been banged up during the majority of the 2023 NFL season. Last week, Barkley was a limited participant for every practice due to an ankle injury he sustained back in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.

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Now, he is a limited participant to start the week due to an elbow injury. The encouraging sign for Barkley shareholders is his appearance in practice in any capacity to start the week. As long as he continues to practice, he has a great shot to take the field against the Jets in Week 8.

What Does This Mean for Darren Waller and Jalin Hyatt’s Fantasy Ranking?

Since Barkley has returned to the lineup, he is averaging 26 total touches per game for 108 total yards per game. The Giants have immediately put him back into a feature role in this offense, which has helped the Giants score two or more offensive touchdowns for just the second time this season.

While Barkley hasn’t been very efficient on the ground due to a struggling offensive line and limited passing attack, his sheer presence on the field has helped open up things in the passing game for backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

In addition, Barkley has been consistently involved in the passing game since his return to the lineup, seeing a minimum of four targets and catching at least three passes in each of the last two games.

If Barkley is ultimately unavailable for their Week 8 showdown against the Jets, it will have a profoundly negative impact on everyone else in the offense. If you need the proof for that statement, look no further than the three-game sample size for the Giants’ offense with Barkley out of the lineup this season. They produced just one offensive touchdown in the three games Barkley missed in 2023.

That means the Giants quarterback (Daniel Jones or Taylor) and the Giants pass catchers (Darren Waller, Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson) all would move slightly down my weekly rankings.

If Barkley is active for Sunday, he is a must-start at the running back position against the Jets.