New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley already missed Week 3 with an ankle injury he sustained late in the Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Will he play in Week 4? Fantasy football managers have been worried all week about Barkley’s injury status. Is he likely to play on Monday Night Football, and if not, who are the alternatives you can start instead?
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Is Saquon Barkley Going To Play in Week 4?
Update 10/02/23: Saquon Barkley is officially inactive tonight against the Seahawks.
Barkley’s ankle injury kept him out on a short week in Week 3 as the Giants played the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.
However, there is some optimism for fantasy managers as Barkley managed to practice, albeit in a limited fashion, on Thursday. He also logged limited practices on Friday and Saturday.
However, later on Saturday, the Giants’ official website updated his injury status to doubtful for Monday’s game vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
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Therefore, with Barkley unlikely to play for the Giants this week, who should fantasy managers consider this week instead?
Potential Fantasy Options If Barkley Is Out: Jerome Ford, De’Von Achane, and Matt Breida
With Barkley likely to not play versus the Seahawks, fantasy managers face some difficult choices this week. However, if they reacted quickly to the Barkley injury, they might already have some strong options on their bench.
One such option is Jerome Ford. Ford is currently ranked as the RB19 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings. He took over the backfield for the Cleveland Browns after Nick Chubb’s horrific injury vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
Ford has been terrific so far, and he even came through in a challenging matchup with the Tennesee Titans last week as the RB7 in PPR scoring. Today, Ford is up against the Baltimore Ravens.
Despite the Browns signing Kareem Hunt as a replacement for Chubb for the rest of the season, Ford will be viewed as the lead back of a run-first offense in Cleveland. Therefore, he has a safe floor with a potentially high ceiling. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting Ford this week.
Another option for Barkley managers might be Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane. A massive 51.3 PPR points made him the must-add player off the waiver wire this week.
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Achane was given six of the Dolphins’ eight touches by running backs inside the 10-yard line in their 70-20 win vs. the Denver Broncos last week, showing that he could be considered the goal-line back in Miami going forward.
Achane is currently the RB29 in our Consensus Rankings due to the presence of Raheem Mostert. And, while he is unlikely to repeat last week’s heroics for fantasy managers, there is still the presence of Mostert to worry about and potentially cap Achane’s upside.
Also, according to DraftKings, the Dolphins start as 2.5-point underdogs vs. the Buffalo Bills this week. That could mean less rushing potential for Achane — the game script will be quite different from last week’s blowout win. Fantasy managers can start Achane in a pinch, but they should look at the PFN Consensus Rankings before setting their lineups.
Another potential option for fantasy managers is Barkley’s handcuff and understudy, Matt Breida. Breida wasn’t particularly strong on Thursday Night Football this past week in a difficult matchup vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
However, Breida comes into the week as the RB35 in our Consensus Rankings. He faces another difficult matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, with the Giants starting as two-point underdogs.
Fantasy managers should start Breida only as a last resort today, as I am sure you will have better options on your bench. If not, Breida will just about tread water for you until Barkley returns. Hopefully for fantasy managers, that should be next week.