Early Saquon Barkley fantasy football picks have been disappointing recently. His lack of ability to stay healthy mixed with the lack of supportive offensive talent around him has led to a displeased New York fan base, but more importantly millions of let-down fantasy football managers.
Barkley has gone on the record saying he has heard everything said about him since being picked second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, and not only does it bother him, but it motivates and angers him. Not long ago, he told reporters, amongst other things, he is expecting to have his best year as a professional, saying “… now it’s like, you know what? F— everybody. I’m ready to go crazy and imma let the world feel me.”
Even if you believe Barkley will follow through on his prediction, is there reason enough to entrust your fantasy roster to him?
Let’s discuss the Saquon Barkley fantasy football outlook for 2022, including his stats from 2021 and give our buy or sell decision based on his current average draft position (ADP).
Saquon Barkley Fantasy Football Outlook 2022
2021 Fantasy Stats
Games Played: 13
Fantasy Points (PPR): 142.7
Fantasy Rank: RB31
Boom%: 8.3%
Starter%: 50%
Bust%: 25%
Saquon Barkley Fantasy Outlook 2022
The Saquon Barkley fantasy outlook for 2022 should be no different than what we have seen the last two seasons. The now 25-year-old running back exploded during his rookie season and has been riding his own coattails ever since. We are here to tell you now, with confidence, that he will never be that same running back again.
Instead, he is likely to continue being the player fantasy football managers repeatedly get burned by. Barkley has been over-drafted for years. There is no reason to believe we will see a production jump from him this season. His QB is the same, and he is playing for yet another first-time head coach. The only hope fantasy owners can cling to is that this coaching staff will force the ball into his hands more often than last season when he averaged between 13-15 touches on the ground. That’s simply not enough time with the ball in his hands as a former second pick.
His ability to catch the ball is a bit of a saving grace, but when you are drafting Saquon Barkley, you are doing it with the expectation he will do most of his damage on the ground. The only time he eclipsed 100 yards last season was also the only game he had 20+ touches. Since the conclusion of the 2019 season, Barkley has found the end zone just three times while rushing the ball. In comparison, his QB Daniel Jones has the same amount of rushing TDs in that stretch.
Barkley owns a jaw-dropping amount of single-digit fantasy games. Even in PPR format, he scored 9.4 or fewer points in seven games. Add those games to the four he missed with injury and you end up with just five games in which he did anything of significance.
Again, there is no reason to believe there will be a dramatic turnaround this season.
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Should I Draft Saquon Barkley For Fantasy Football?
The Saquon Barkley fantasy football ADP was taken from Fantasy Football Calculator for PPR scoring on September 5th and sees Barkley taken with the 16th (2.04) pick and the 11th RB drafted. At this ADP, he is an absolute stay-away. If you take a look at the calculator tool linked above, there are some incredible and reliable names both above and below Barkley. Quite literally, any of them are going to be a better asset to your fantasy football roster this season.
At 16th overall, chances are at least one top-five receiver will still be available. If not, that means much better running back options will still be on the board, along with the top tight end and quarterback. Saquon Barkley has less than a coin flip’s chance of working out this year. We recommend you bypass him for a sure thing elsewhere.
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