The moment New York Giants star player Saquon Barkley went down with a high ankle sprain, the optimism at the running back position took a hit. After winning their first game of the season in week three against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Giants looked into several veteran free agents to help compensate for the loss of Barkley. They brought in options like Zach Zenner, Bennie Cunningham, and Fozzy Whittaker.
At the end of the workouts, the Giants allowed them to go home without executing a signing. Head coach Pat Shurmur elected to stick with the options currently on the roster. They elevated Jon Hilliman from the practice squad and plugged Wayne Gallman into the starting role.
The New York Giants rolled with a familiar face to fill Barkley’s spot:
In his third season, Gallman recorded his first start. He finished the day against the Washington Redskins with the 63 yards rushing on 18 attempts, and 55 yards on six receptions. He totaled 118 all-purpose yards and secured two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.
From a fantasy football perspective, Gallman had a fantastic day and helped the Giants to a 24-3 victory in week four of the regular season. However, moving forward it will be challenging to match up against the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots, two quality defenses.
Gaining back Saquon Barkley is undoubtedly a priority, but the Giants should not rush him and be cautionary with his recovery. Gallman is capable of handling the load despite his 3.5 yards per carry, a considering it was his first game as a starter, we should give him the benefit of the doubt concerning his deficiencies. Minnesota will likely be a tall task to handle, but Gallman is the running back moving forward for the Giants. In a season where a rebuild is underway, forcing an early return for you star player is not advisable.