Fantasy managers of New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley were left frustrated as the star running back appeared back on the Giants’ injury report in Week 14. What is the latest regarding his status, and who should fantasy football managers have in mind as a potential replacement if he is limited or suffers a setback in pregame?
Saquon Barkley injury update
After he did not appear on the injury report in Week 13, Barkley hoped his injury woes were behind him. However, on Wednesday ahead of Week 14, Barkley was listed as limited with an ankle injury.
Barkley remained limited on Thursday. Barkley was then seen at the open portion of practice for the Giants on Friday. He was listed as a limited participant on Friday and carries no injury status heading into the weekend. He is expected to play when the Giants face the Chargers on Sunday and should have no limitations despite the minor injury setback.
It has been a tough season for the Giants’ star RB
It has been a tricky fourth season for the second overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft. Barkley has yet to rush for 60 yards or more in a single game this season. His yards per attempt has dropped to 3.8, as he has 315 yards on 84 rush attempts.
Barkley has somewhat salvaged his season with his play in the receiving game. However, he is still sitting well below his career average with 6.4 yards per reception. In terms of his fantasy value, Barkley has been underwhelming for managers.
In half-PPR formats, Barkley has scored double-digit fantasy points in just three games this season. Over the last three weeks, he has averaged only 8.8 fantasy points game in half-PPR, making him the 39th-ranked running back in points per game during that time.
The issue for fantasy managers is that it is tough to sit him if Barkley is active. In many ways, fantasy managers have an easier decision if he is out, as they can look elsewhere without worrying. Let’s take a look at who the Giants can turn to if Barkley is out.
What options do the Giants have other than Barkley in Week 14?
Behind Barkley on the Giants’ depth chart is Devontae Booker. This season, Booker actually leads the Giants in rush attempts with 97. However, he is not faring much better than Barkley, averaging just 3.9 yards per rush attempt in 2021.
Booker did have a reasonable run of success between Weeks 5 and 9 when Barkley was absent. During that period, he carried the ball 78 times for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also added 17 receptions on 20 targets for 147 receiving yards with 2 touchdowns.
During that five-game stretch, Barkley scored a total of 70.5 fantasy points at an average of 14.1 per game. Those numbers would make Booker a mid-level RB2 this season if they were extrapolated over the entire season. During his time as a lead back, he scored 10 or more points on five occasions.
The only other Giants back to have more than 5 rush attempts this year is FB Elijhaa Penny, who has 89 yards and a touchdown on 22 rush attempts. If Barkley re-aggrevates during the game, Booker has a great opportunity to be a valuable fantasy option, but it is risky to start him.