NFL Breaking News: Saquon Barkley Signs Franchise Tag & Reports To Giants Training Camp
Breaking news in the NFL this morning with Ian Rapoport reporting that Giants running back Saquon Barkley has signed the franchise tag and will report to training camp. The deal is worth $11 million dollars with incentives and includes a clause that will prevent Barkley from receiving the tag next season. When it comes to fantasy football ADP, fantasy football player rankings and fantasy football projections it will be interesting to see how much movement there is on the Giants star running back as many did not expect him to hold out and miss games this season but the security knowing he is signed should give fantasy football managers a piece of mind. Let's dive into the expectation for Barkley heading into the 2023 fantasy football season.
Saquon Barkley Fantasy Football ADP
When it comes to fantasy football ADP we see Barkley currently coming off the board in the second round with a consensus ADP of 15.45. He is currently the RB6 being drafted with the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler, Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb all going ahead of him at the moment. With the the news that he has signed it would not surprise me to see him begin to climb back up the board given his overall production upside in the running and passing game. Last season, in half-point PPR leagues we saw Barkley finish as the RB5 in points per game while sitting out Week 18 as the Giants had a playoff spot locked up. While wide receivers are pushing most running backs down the draft boards this season, I'd expect to see Barkley creep his way towards the end of the first round in most drafts following this news.
Saquon Barkley Fantasy Football Projections
2022 finally saw a healthy season from Barkley who hadn't played more than 13 games since his rookie campaign. He finished last year with 295 carries for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 57 receptions on 76 targets for 338 yards in his first year with Brian Daboll as the head coach. Right now, Fantasy Alarm projections have Barkley paced out for 309 rushing attempts, 1,327 yards and 12.8 rushing touchdowns while adding 57 receptions for 331 yards and 2.6 scores. I personally think the receiving stats are a bit on the low-end, as Daniel Jones certainly likes to throw to his star running back and we've seen Barkley's receiving ceiling when he finished with 720 yards and 91 catches during his rookie year.
Saquon Barkley Betting Odds and Rushing Props
Over on DraftKings Sportsbook the line is set at 1,050.5 rushing yards for Barkley at -110. With a healthy season this number feels like an easy over as it would require Barkley to average just 61.8 yards per game on the season. As a reminder, Barkley averaged 82 rushing yards per game last year on his way to 1,312 rushing yards over 16 games.
Over on BetMGM you can find odds for NFL Offensive Player of the Year where Barkley is currently set at +3000 to win the award. Offensive Player of the Year is an award that most running backs or wide receivers contend for while QB's generally take home the league MVP honors so betting Barkley at +3000 is a pretty solid investment as a breakout season by the Giants in year-two under Brian Daboll could be due to the fact that Barkley breaks the bank as he looks to get paid next offseason.
New York Giants Super Bowl Odds & Win Total Props
When it comes to the New York Giants, the signing of Barkley doesn't really move their odds all that much. Below are the available lines on the Giants to win the Super Bowl, Conference, Division and win totals from DraftKings Sportsbook:
- Win Total: 7.5 Over (+100) / Under (-120)
- To Win NFC East: +850
- To Win NFC Conference: +2500
- To Win the Super Bowl: +6500
Player News
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan expects Jaxson Dart to sit his entire rookie year if “all goes well.”
The problem with that otherwise sensible opinion, of course, is that it is extremely unlikely “all goes well” with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on a roster that found itself picking at No. 3 overall last month. If the Giants are genuinely serious about redshirting Dart for a year, it will be easier than most places because of the presence of two veteran quarterbacks instead of just one, but coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen both have their jobs on the line. That almost equals “break rookie glass.” Teams have become more amenable to sitting blue-chip rookie QBs in recent years, but we would be stunned if Dart fails to make 2025 starts.
Colts claimed DT Eric Johnson II off waivers from the Patriots.
A 2022 fifth-round pick of the Colts, Johnson spent two years in Indy before last year’s sojourn in Boston. Waived at final cuts last summer, Johnson was claimed by the Pats. He’s been a steady special teamer and rotational depth piece up front. Johnson’s Colts experience greatly enhances his 53-man roster odds, but his spot will be far from a given. He turns 27 in July.
NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco reports that the 49ers and OT D.J. Humphries do not have a deal in place.
Humphries reported on his social media account a few weeks ago that he had agreed to a contract with the 49ers, but that does not appear to be the case. At least for now. Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 season and was released by the Cardinals. He spent most of the 2024 season rehabbing before signing with the Chiefs. He started at left tackle in Week 14 before hurting his hamstring and missing the rest of the season. He will continue to search for another opportunity.
Patriots DT Christian Barmore (blood clots) will be ready to play in Week 1.
Barmore was limited to just four games last season while battling blood clots. He told reporters on Thursday that he’s been cleared for all football activity and has been a full participant in the Patriots’ offseason workout program. He expects to be fully ready by Week 1.
Raiders hired Brandon Hunt as Vice President of Player Personnel
Hunt was most recently the senior director of scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles and spent the previous two seasons as their director of scouting. Before joining the Eagles, Hunt spent 12 seasons (2010-21) as the pro scouting coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reports Caleb Williams considered forcing a pre-draft trade from the Bears before ultimately deciding he could win in Chicago.
In other words, he mulled pulling an Elway. “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” were the words of Caleb’s father Carl to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. Williams reportedly desired a trade to the Vikings, but he changed his mind after touring the Bears’ facility. “I can do it for this team,” Caleb reportedly told his dad. “I’m going to go to the Bears.” Williams acknowledged any attempt to force a trade would require going scorched earth on the Bears and city of Chicago, a process he did not have the stomach for. There have been zero reports of Bears/Williams drama since he made his peace with the idea, even after former coach Matt Eberflus’ clown show 2024 mistakes. It’s an interesting story, but one firmly planted in the past.