Tough day for Barkley

Giants RB Saquon Barkley managed just 22 yards on his 15 carries in Sunday's loss to the Lions. He added only 13 more on 2 receptions among 5 targets. It was even more disappointing for such a performance to come against a Lions defense ranked 27th in Football Outsiders' rushing DVOA. The rest of Barkley's season, of course, means we need to dismiss this one and continue playing the fantasy stud. Week 12 holds a Dallas defense that allowed him 126 total yards in their Week 3 meeting.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley recorded 9 carries for 61 yards and 2 catches for 21 yards in Saturday's Divisional Round loss vs. the Eagles. Though the Giants' season ended in a disappointing fashion, Barkley has a lot to be happy about entering free agency this offseason. The Pro Bowl back played in 16 games for the 1st time since his rookie season in 2018 and set a career-high in rushing yards (1,312) in 2022. The soon-to-be 26-year-old will be a dynamic fantasy asset regardless of what team he suits up for in 2023 and beyond. He said after Saturday's game that “everyone knows I want to be a Giant for life," taking away any potential mystery around his intentions. We'll see if his desire to return to New York comes to fruition in the coming weeks.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Giants held long-term contract talks with RB Saquon Barkley during the season. Per Rapoport, the team wants Barkley and Daniel Jones to return for 2023. (No surprise there.) The franchise tag remains likely to be used on 1 of those guys. Per Spotrac, New York currently has the 3rd most cap-space league-wide (~54$ million).

Giants RB Saquon Barkley totaled 9 carries for 53 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's Wild Card win vs. the Giants. The savvy vet also caught 5 passes on 6 targets for 56 yards as a receiver in the contest. Fantasy managers who pegged the Giants as an upset victor with Barkley in their playoff lineups are feeling pretty good about themselves after this one. Up next for Barkley and the Giants is a showdown vs. an Eagles defense that ranks as the 13th-best matchup for RBs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley is a healthy scratch for today's game vs. the Eagles. QB Daniel Jones is active but isn't expected to play in this game that means nothing to New York.

The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy reports that the Giants are expected to sit "key starters" in Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Eagles. New York is locked into the NFC's #6 seed and has nothing to play for. We've been projecting QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley to sit all week. Look for QB Tyrod Taylor to get the start and for RBs Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell to handle backfield duties. WRs Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins and Richie James could also be held out or be pulled early in Sunday's game.