The 2019 fantasy football season is still a long way off, but New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is getting a ton of love nonetheless.
Earlier this week, Michael Fabiano of NFL.com released his first fantasy mock draft of the new year and to no one’s surprise, Barkley was projected to go No. 1 overall.
More impressive? His stock is still rising.
1.1) Team 1 – Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants: Barkley is coming off a historic rookie season that saw him finish first in PPR points among running backs. A touch monster who could tote the rock over 400 times now that the Giants have parted ways with Odell Beckham Jr., Barkley is going to emerge into the consensus No. 1 overall selection at a position that is talented at the top.
The Giants are trending towards the ground game as the drive of their offense, but Barkley may not see the drastic increase in touches many are anticipating.
Yes, without Odell Beckham Jr., Barkley steps in as the focal point of New York’s offense, but players like Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Evan Engram and even Wayne Gallman are likely to be heavily utilized.
However, even if Barkley doesn’t see a substantial increase in touches, he’s as explosive as any player in the NFL, capable of taking it to the house every time the ball finds him on the field. And for that reason, he should always be considered a top fantasy football option.
