New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Should Be The First Overall Pick In Fantasy Drafts In 2019

The New York Giants‘ offense lost its biggest superstar and playmaker during the 2019 offseason. The Giants made the controversial decision to trade away wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. after 5 record-breaking seasons in New York.

Luckily, the Giants have another superstar already in the fold. Running back Saquon Barkley won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and is primed for another monstrous season in 2019. Saquon was also the top running back in fantasy football during his 2018 rookie season.

Fantasy football season is right around the corner. The NFL begins in September, so fans of the game should get their fantasy football leagues and drafts started within the next month and a half.

Odell Beckham Jr. was always a solid fantasy pick during his time in New York, but now he looks to be a potential WR1 candidate in Cleveland. The removal of the WR1 threat for the Giants opens up their ability to have the RB1 in Saquon Barkley.

Why Saquon Barkley Is Worthy Of The First Overall Pick

Saquon Barkley is the ultimate NFL running back and the ultimate fantasy football running back, too. His ability to gain yardage and score touchdowns at a high volume both as a runner and as a receiver make him worth the first overall pick.

Barkley hauled in 91 receptions in 2018. With just about every website and league setting PPR (one point per reception) as their standard, Barkley’s ability to total a high volume of receptions makes him extremely valuable.

Saquon Barkley scored the most fantasy points of any running back in 2018 with 385.80 points, narrowly placing him ahead of Christian McCaffery, who scored 385.50. Just a .30 point difference between the two, which might lead some to wonder why Saquon is the clear cut best choice.

Saquon is the clear cut best choice because of his potential. McCaffery and Barkley both received an insane number of targets in 2018 (124 and 121, respectively). But Saquon was just a rookie. It is possible we see Saquon receive even more targets and even more touches in 2019.

Barkley’s total of 121 targets ranks eighth-most by any running back in any season since targets became a stat (1992) and would have ranked 15th among all wide receivers last year (according to Pro Football Focus).

Seeing Saquon Barkley receive handoffs in 2019 will not be as boom-or-bust as it was in 2018. Barkley ran behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines in 2018. However, the Giants have made a serious effort to rebuild the offensive line over the past two seasons. The line is now above-average which adds to the potential of Saquon Barkley.

Running behind a better offensive line will allow Barkley to be an even more efficient runner. Saquon’s big runs played a major part in his fantasy success in 2018. Barkley had nine plays of 40-plus yards last year, five more than any other running back in 2018; the last back with more than five such plays in a season was LeSean McCoy, with six in 2013 (PFF).

The Giants’ improved offensive line will help him in multiple ways in 2019. An improved offensive line means better running lanes for Barkley, which will lead to even more big runs and even more short runs. It is a win-win.

Saquon Barkley had an insane stat line as a rookie. He rushed 261 times for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while also receiving 91 passes for 721 yards and 4 touchdowns. And to make things crazier, Barkley has the potential to increase each and every one of those stats in the 2019 season.