New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Barkley had an outstanding college career, totaling 671 rushing attempts for 3,843 yards and 43 touchdowns in three years at Penn State. Furthermore, he had 102 receptions for 1,195 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during his college career.
More importantly, the former Penn State star was outstanding as a rookie. Barkley had 352 touches for 2,028 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns in 2018. He led the league in scrimmage yards while ending the season as the RB2, averaging 21.3 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.
Unfortunately, the superstar running back struggled with injuries over the next few years. He missed three games in 2019 before missing nearly the entire season in 2020. While Barkley only missed four games in 2021, the veteran was a bust for fantasy players.
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What Did Saquon Barkley Accomplish In 2022?
However, the star running back bounced back last season. Barkley had 295 rushing attempts for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns. Furthermore, he had 57 receptions on 76 targets for 338 receiving yards in 2022. More importantly, the former Penn State star was the RB6, averaging 16 fantasy points per game.
Despite having an excellent season, the Giants decided to use the franchise tag on Barkley instead of signing him to a long-term deal. However, the veteran wasn’t happy with that decision.
Should Saquon Barkley Be The No. 1 Overall Pick In 2023?
Barkley has tossed around the idea of sitting up the 2023 season if the team doesn’t give him a long-term of his liking. While Le’Veon Bell sat out the 2018 season because of the franchise tag, it is unlikely the former Penn State star will do the same thing this season.
However, should Barkley be the first overall pick in redraft leagues? The answer is no. While the veteran bounced back last year, he missed 54.6% of the games over the previous two years.
Furthermore, the Giants added Darren Waller this offseason. The veteran tight end will be Daniel Jones’ No. 1 pass catcher this year, limiting Barkley’s receiving upside. While the former Penn State is worthy of a first-round draft pick, fantasy players shouldn’t select him with the 1.01 pick.
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