Saquon Barkley has a very tough schedule ahead for fantasy owners

Most fantasy football leagues are a week or two from starting postseason play, which means a few of you might be able to make trades still. For those of you looking to make a last-minute deal to improve your roster for the playoffs, I have just the deal for you.

I am going to tell you why you need to be trading away New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. We’ll first look at his season and current trade value and then get into why you should deal him away and finally talk about what to try to acquire in return.

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Barkley’s Season

Barkley has missed time because of injuries this season and has played in eight games so far.

He’s the unquestioned leader in the Giants’ backfield, with 180 touches to his name. Matt Breida is a distant second at 61 touches.

Barkley has attempted 153 rushes for 651 yards and one touchdown. He’s made up for his lack of rushing touchdowns with his work as a pass catcher, hauling in 27-of-37 targets for 162 yards and four scores. 

Barkley has at least 14 touches in each contest, with a season high of 39 against the New York Jets in late October. He’s topped 60 scrimmage yards in every game and has six games with 90 or more scrimmage yards. Barkley has only scored in three different games.

The veteran back is coming off his best outing of the season. He went for 140 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns across 18 touches against the Washington Commanders.

Why You Should Trade Barkley

The first reason why it makes sense to move Barkley now is due to what he’s accomplished recently. Most importantly, Barkley is healthy, but his trade value is about as high as it’s been since he returned from his injuries. 

The biggest reason I’d want to trade Barkley now is because of the schedule he has the rest of the season. FantasySP has a new strength of schedule page, and Barkley is the biggest name at the running back position with an “F” rating, meaning the Giants’ schedule is brutal for a running back.

Barkley and the Giants play the New England Patriots in week 12, which is an average matchup for the running back. The Patriots aren’t all that good - much like the Giants - so Barkley should be heavily involved in the close contest.

The Giants have a bye in week 13. Barkley then will face the Green Bay Packers in week 14, which is a favorable matchup. But again, if the Giants cannot keep the game close, Barkley won’t get nearly as many rushing attempts, and his fantasy score will take a big hit unless he can score or break a couple big plays. 

Week 15 is when the tough matchups really set in. The Giants play the New Orleans Saints in week 15, and that’s a very tough matchup on a running back. Barkley will go up against the Philadelphia Eagles and their top-ranked defense in weeks 16 and 18. Sandwiched in between is a battle with the Los Angeles Rams, who are another top-10 defense.

That’s a brutal late season schedule, especially if your league plays in week 18. 

Another couple reasons for moving on from Barkley would be because the Giants could continue to monitor his snaps and touches as the season rolls along. The playoffs are nearly out of reach, and if Barkley is a big part of the team’s future plans, they won’t risk his health for meaningless games. 

Barkley has been injury prone over his career, and there’s always the chance the team could shut Barkley down early, even with a small injury.

What to Target in Return for Barkley

Barkley’s trade value is high, and you are likely trading with someone already in the postseason field, or trying to make a late-season push. A desperate fantasy owner might offer a big-time return for the Giants’ fantasy star, but it likely won’t be a single player unless they are stacked at another position.

If you are lacking at tight end, maybe you could get a Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson or George Kittle - for the latter two, you could maybe get another player with them. If you are after a quarterback, you could target just about any guy in the league. If you need a wideout, there’s a number of top-end talents that you could chase.

Check out the trade value charts and come up with the best player that would round out your lineup.

When trading away a fantasy star like Barkley, I personally like to add depth to my team. I’m not talking about borderline rosterable guys, but instead guys that you are starting more often than not. 

I’d probably try to get one running back in return - make sure they are a clear No. 1 option and not a guy that’s splitting snaps, unless you want to get both RBs from a team, like David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. I’d then target a position or positions of weakness for the additional player(s) in the deal. 

It might not look like the greatest trade on paper at the end of things, but getting two or three starters in return for a player who has a brutal stretch of games at the end of the season is a big-time win in my book.

Good luck in your trade endeavors.