Fantasy Upside
Saquon Barkley was the RB6 last year in half-PPR formats, rushing for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. Barkley also caught 57 balls for 338 yards, his most receptions since his rookie year. Barkley is still one of the most talented and versatile backs in the league and he should be in the middle of his prime at age 26.
Fantasy Downside
Barkley had a couple injury-plagued seasons prior to his return to form in 2022, so durability is always a concern. He still plays a position with a high attrition rate. Still, the biggest concern is his contract situation. If he misses considerable time during training camp and preseason and reports late, then the injury concerns go up even more. If he holds out for any length of time, his second-round ADP becomes too expensive to gamble on him.
2023 Bottom Line
Barkley will be great if he shows up and he stays healthy, but those are both concerns. All things equal, he has as much potential to finish as the RB1 overall as anyone, but we have him conservatively ranked a few spots lower than he finished in 2022. Be cautious with Barkley, perhaps waiting to see if his ADP slides before investing in him this season. Barkley is definitely someone I’d rather draft in late-August than in late-July.