Saquon Barkley Fantasy football ranking: 2020 outlook, projections, ADP, value, predictions, stats

After finishing as Fantasy's RB1 in his rookie season, Saquon Barkley's production took a step backwards in 2019. In year two, Barkley's touchdown total fell from 15 to 8, and he wasn't leaned on nearly as heavily in the passing game. He also was forced to miss three games with an ankle injury. The end result was a drop from the RB1 to RB10 finish in Fantasy. Where should he be in your 2020 Fantasy football rankings, and what Saquon Barkley Fantasy football outlook can you expect?

The Giants retooled the offensive line this offseason, highlighted by the fourth-overall selection Andrew Thomas. New York also added tackle Matt Peart in the third round, so running lanes should be easier for Barkley to find in 2020.

The 2020 Saquon Barkley Fantasy football value remains strong, as he's set for another 1,000 yard campaign. He's undoubtedly a first-round candidate in most formats, but how high should he be in your 2020 Fantasy football rankings? Here's what you need to know:

So which players are poised for breakouts, which sleepers do you need to jump on, and which busts should you avoid at all costs in your Fantasy football league? Join SportsLine now to get early 2020 Fantasy football rankings, plus see which WR is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.

Saquon Barkley Fantasy ADP & ranking (via SportsLine's projection model)

No. 2.2 ADP
No. 5 RB (non-PPR)
No. 3 RB (PPR)

Saquon Barkley Fantasy projections (via SportsLine's projection model) 

259 carries, 1,119 rushing yards, 8.8 rushing TDs; 
89.4 targets, 65.6 receptions, 534 receiving yards, 2.18 receiving TDS
227 Fantasy points (non-PPR); 292.6 (PPR)

Saquon Barkley 2020 Fantasy outlook 

What made Barkley such a formidable Fantasy force in 2018 was the almost Christian McCaffrey-like 121 targets. That number fell all the way to 73 last year. Barkley saw double digit targets in five games as a rookie, which included a spike week of 16 targets. In 2019, his season-high for targets was 10, and that was the only game he reached double digits.

It wasn't for lack of negative game scripts, as the Giants actually found themselves playing from behind more often in 2019 than 2018. The 2019 Giants had the third-highest pass-to-rush ratio in the NFL too, just barely topping their rate from the 2018 season. So, the team passing volume was there for Barkley to repeat 2018's massive usage as a receiver -- why didn't he?

The simple answer would seem to be that Daniel Jones throws to his backs less often than Eli Manning did. Even before Barkley arrived, Manning was feeding Shane Vereen and Wayne Gallman a combined 80-100 targets every season. Couple the QB change with the increase in viable offensive weapons available to the Daniel Jones, and it seems unlikely that we ever see 120-plus targets from Barkley again.

Does that mean Barkley is no longer one of the top backs in Fantasy? Absolutely not. He has no competition for touches and is one of the most talented rushers we've seen in the past decade. His 16-game pace for targets in 2019 was 91, which is still high enough for Barkley to remain comfortably inside of the top-five Fantasy backs.

Barkley was the RB3 in Fantasy upon returning in Week 7, and SportsLine's projections have him finishing as the RB3 in 2020. The only player I would take ahead of Barkley is McCaffrey. Backs like Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, and Alvin Kamara have the upside to outscore him, but none have as safe of a Fantasy role as Barkley or McCaffrey do.