Fantasy Football: Top 15 Rookies to Target in 2018

FANTASY FOOTBALL ROOKIES TO TARGET: NUMBER 1 – SAQUON BARKLEY

Was there any doubt as to who number one would be? Of course it’s Saquon Barkley, who honestly should have been the number one overall pick in this year’s draft.

He wasn’t, of course, but went second overall to the New York Giants, a team who needed a running back desperately. The Giants will put Barkley right to work and he’ll easily be the starter in 2018 and probably for years moving forward. The kid is a nightmare to cover on the gridiron (take it from a Nebraska fan who watched him gash my Huskers to the tune of 158 yards and three touchdowns last year).

Barkley had 1,271 yards and 18 touchdowns last year at Penn State and will look to put the Giants offense on the map this year. There is certainly a case to be made for why Barkley could be the first overall pick in fantasy football drafts.

While I wouldn’t necessarily go that route, he does have an Ezekiel Elliott type of appeal this year. Elliott went in the top ten (even top five in some drafts) his rookie year and most definitely lived up to the hype, so Barkley is also probably worth a first round pick.

Rookie running backs can be risky, yes, but they can also be the best player on your team. Elliott was a beast as a rookie in 2016 and Barkley has that same type of burst and could provide that for the Giants and for your fantasy football team.