Barkley not a lock for Week 1

Giants HC Joe Judge refused to commit to RB Saquon Barkley (knee) being ready for Week 1 when asked on Monday. “Look, ideally we’d love to have him back as soon as possible,” Judge said. "But ultimately we’ve got to make sure when he comes back he can play 100 percent; he can play aggressive and confident; and that we have him back. So that’s the approach we’re taking. We’re really just watching day by day and evaluating where he’s at and affording him the ability to come back when he’s fully ready to go, because the plan is when we get him back to keep him back. We don’t want to rush him back and do something that’s not best for him individually or best for the team, and we’re really taking a big picture and a long-term view of this.” The "long-term view" has been the theme for Barkley's return from last September's torn ACL all offseason. It's clear the Giants will have no issue holding him out of games -- or perhaps limiting his touches -- if he's not ready to go. We'll continue to keep a close eye on his progress.

The Eagles have agreed to a three-year contract with RB Saquon Barkley. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Barkley will get $37.75 million over three years, with $26 million of that fully guaranteed at signing. The pact could be worth up to $46.75 million. That money shows Philly plans to turn Barkley into the kind of lead back the franchise hasn't had for a long time. D'Andre Swfit ranked just 24th in PPR points per game at the position as Philly's top back last year. But he underperformed on TDs: five rushing scores vs. 8.2 expected, according to Pro Football Focus. Barkley should also do better than Swift's 3.06 targets per game. Philadelphia -- with QB Jalen Hurts -- isn't the optimal spot for Barkley's receiving volume. But it should present easily the best offense he's played in. No Giants offense has ranked higher than 15th in points or higher than 17th in yards since Barkley entered the league.

The Giants will not use the franchise tag on RB Saquon Barkley, allowing him to hit the free-agent market later this month, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Barkley is coming off a RB9 finish in PPR points per game, compiling 1,242 total yards and 10 TDs across 14 games. He averaged just 3.9 yards per carry but ranked a solid 13th among 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. The 27-year-old might no longer be an elite RB, but he's still a good bet to capture a big workload wherever he lands next.

The Giants used the franchise tag to keep Saquon Barkley on the 2023 roster but never worked out a longer-term pact. ESPN's Jordan Raanan reports that the team won't do so in 2024 and that "it seems like this is headed for Barkley to hit free agency." That would be the first trip into the open market for the six-year veteran, who turns 27 this week. Barkley has rebounded after losing 20 games to injury from 2019 through 2021. He has missed just four total contests over the past two years despite posting his two largest carries-per-game rates (18.4 and 17.6). Barkley's 2.91 yards after contact per carry in 2023 also was his best mark since 2019. The guy can still play and should be a good fit in any system because of his versatile skill set. Barkley sits inside Round 2 in both Underdog and FFPC ADP so far. You might be able to get him at a nice discount in dynasty, however, where managers often over-emphasize youth.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley struggled in Week 17, posting 58 scrimmage yards on 15 touches against the Rams. This performance is emblematic of the rough go the veteran had in 2023. Barkley missed four games due to an ankle injury and was only able to be healthy to play in three games with QB Daniel Jones (torn ACL in Week 9). Still, he averaged 88.1 scrimmage yards per game this season, a slight downtick from 103.1 in 2022. Barkley also totaled an average of 20.6 touches per game across 13 contests and showed his ability to maintain a sizeable workload. He’ll enter 2024 as a 27-year-old free agent and likely be able to hold low-end RB1/high-end RB2 dynasty value for the next couple of seasons.

The Giants' offense has struggled lately but managed to support a big game for RB Saquon Barkley in Sunday's win over the Commanders. Barkley rushed 14 times for 83 yards (5.9) per rush and added a 4-57-2 receiving line on 5 targets. That tied him for the team high in targets and marked Barkley's most receptions in a game since Week 6. The yardage was a season high. Playing a lackluster Washington defense certainly helped. The Giants get a neutral matchup with New England in Week 12 before a Week 13 bye. After that comes a positive matchup for RB scoring with Green Bay, but three straight negative matchups to finish the season. That makes Barkley a potential sell if your trade deadline hasn't passed yet. Barkley's receiving ability helps him in negative matchups, though, so he can certainly remain useful in fantasy. Barkley has also topped 5.0 yards per carry in three straight contests.