Saquon Barkley - Dynasty Discussion Thread

[DJB]

I wouldn't put him lower than 3, and I can see how someone puts him above all of them.

Gurley has had one great season. Zeke is an absolute stud, but a moron. Bell has a lot of tread on his tires and will likely be out of PIT by 2019. And DJ also had one great season.

If I was doing a start-up and looking to pick RB, I might take Barkley ahead of them all. In fact, it isn't a question for me. I WOULD take Barkley ahead of them all. He is younger, stronger, faster, moves better, has better hands, and has a better head/character than any of these guys.

Well i just did a startup and i took him at 4.

[MEuRaH]

Crazy first run. One of the best we'll see all preseason, too. His O-line blocking was TERRIBLE, but it'll get better.

https://streamable.com/4vgny

Wow... just wow. Looks like an inside zone but nothing is there. He jump-cuts to his right and immediately sees 2 defenders. He does another jump inside and then bursts. He's so quick that he avoided 3 tackles in the box and takes off up the right side. Simply amazing. Dude has feet like I haven't seen since Barry Sanders (not as good, just haven't seen it since then).

His O-line let him down at least one other time in a big way. It was an off-tackle to the right, and 74 didn't hold his block. That could have been a TD run.

Barkley proved to me that he's worth every penny. This dude is legit.

[Pullo Vision]

Barkley did very little straight ahead Frank Gore type running.

He was a chunk play home run specialist.

In PPR hes' as safe as they come but the assumption that he's going to take the NFL by storm RUNNING the ball I believe to be mistaken.

His performance today highlights this point.

[ArrylT]

Crazy first run. One of the best we'll see all preseason, too. His O-line blocking was TERRIBLE, but it'll get better.

https://streamable.com/4vgny

Thanks for sharing - that is a pretty kewl tool.

[Rosenbluu]

Gurley
Bell
Zeke
Hunt
D.J.
Kamara
MGIII/Barkley

[clarion contrarion]

Both were touted as can't miss, generational RB talents. Both were ranked extremely high coming out of college. Both busted those lofty expectations. Just trying to urge caution.

This is such a lazy argument. Also, Barkley isn’t being touted as generational, he is considered the once in a lifetime talent.

Not by everyone imho, but I would agree that plenty have. However I've seen plenty of "experts" and "analysts" classify him "only" as 'generational'. However I think the terms 'generational' and 'once in a lifetime' to be semantics driven* so it only matters if one believes there is a difference.

* - basically for me they are terms used to drive hype & excitement - so to me there is no difference in describing him as 'generational' or 'once in a lifetime' - but to others there could be.

once in a lifetime back depends on the length of the lifetime I reckon - there has been a generational back or those hyped as such about 6 or 7 times the last ten years ..... what generation a butterfly generation ? just hypedealers pumping their product usually . Hyperbole rules the land - twas a short few generations back that ameer abdullah had the greatest pre season run of all time ... how has that panned out in the eons since ?

Barkley looks damned special but thinking there won't be growing pains or some games of 19 carries for 31 yards 4 or 5 times a season is foolhardy - If the moribund IU Hoosiers defense can shut him down 2 games 53 carries & 114 yards rushing , although he had mice receiving games both years then my thought is many NFL defense will lock him up at will if they choose to focus on stopping him. . Especially if eli doesn't stretch the field .

[skip]

I guess I don't agree with the assessment that this kid is a "once in a lifetime" talent. If you want to call him a generational talent, I guess you can do that just realize that pretty much every season there has been an RB coming out about whom a similar statement is made. There is also a lot of recency bias that is operatng on the assumption that there is no chance he will miss. I've been playing this game for too long and seem plenty of these "generational" players end up failing. I just won't rank a rookie in the elite tier until he shows it on the field in the NFL.

[kris_kapsner]

I understand some people wanting to play it safe and draft players who have proved themselves in the NFL.

I also understand that when looking at Barkley compared to every other RB in the “big 5” it’s not hard to make an argument that he could be the best of them. He’s the youngest and age matters for RB’s. He’s easily the most polished pass catcher of them when comparing him to those other four as rookies. He has better metrics than any of them. And he’s a stand up guy with no off field issues.

So ultimately it boils down to how risk averse you are. If you don’t mind taking a chance a bit, I can easily see owners drafting Barkley as the #1 in start ups. His ceiling is as high as I’ve ever estimated for a rookie and I’ve been analyzing RB’s for 16 years. That’s not to say he can’t bust. But it’s not likely.

[CK_]

This dude is not as good as people want him to be. He is a solid freakin prospect by any sense of the word, but in no world should be be akin to a Ladanian Tomlinson or a Marshall Faulk as people want to put him in. The valuation that he is being placed in makes no sense with the value he should receive. Take your rose colored glasses off and sell him for the value he should be received. If I could sell for a early first + Zeke/Dj/Gurley/bell. Then damn well you should take it.

[FiremanEd]

If I could sell for a early first + Zeke/Dj/Gurley/bell. Then damn well you should take it.

I think that there would be very few that would disagree with you here, especially considering many have Zeke on par splitting hairs and Gurley ahead. Some could debate the DJ and Bell one, though that would likely be highly contingent on the state of the roster and true projection or placement of the pick (though one should be able to then flip DJ/Bell for another RB+pick combo to achieve the youth desired if applicable). The inclusion of Gurley/Zeke here is more of an exaggerating of the current state of where Barkley stands, as shown by the rankings that drove the initial question.

[thebeast]

If I could sell for a early first + Zeke/Dj/Gurley/bell. Then damn well you should take it.

I agree with this. I would take Gurley and Zeke before Barkley straight up, although I realize Barkley may end up being valued higher than both, however, I am ok with either of those guys as my floor vs Barkley's ceiling.

[meineymoe]

I still think the best solution is to have a separate rookie draft when you do a startup league draft. It's what I've done in the past, and you don't have to try to figure out where the rookies belong.
And if you do it right, you won't have to be doing startup drafts that often! And this whole recency, "where the hot rookie is ranked" issue is moot.

-oo-

[Goddard]

I still think the best solution is to have a separate rookie draft when you do a startup league draft. It's what I've done in the past, and you don't have to try to figure out where the rookies belong.
And if you do it right, you won't have to be doing startup drafts that often! And this whole recency, "where the hot rookie is ranked" issue is moot.

-oo-

But wouldn't you just be drafting the rookie picks instead of the players? Ends up being very similar since the 1.01 will probably go wherever Barkley is going. Unless you have some other form of assigning rookie picks after the startup, which I probably wouldn't be a fan of anyway, because there's really no fair way of doing that without someone being rewarded for no real reason.

[FiremanEd]

I still think the best solution is to have a separate rookie draft when you do a startup league draft. It's what I've done in the past, and you don't have to try to figure out where the rookies belong.

I personally hate this concept, unless it is an auction rookie draft, otherwise random luck determines who gets Barkley, which has been established as a FAR superior asset to own compared to someone at 1.02, let alone 1.12. At least with one player pool in a startup the tier drops are not quite as significant and the random draw component only comes into play once. I don't understand the benefit of 'not having to try to figure out where the rookies belong' in comparison to players in the league already either. Established or not, what is to come in the future is unknown and will differ greatly to what is expected regardless. All a game of projection, rookie or otherwise.

[Dynasty DeLorean]

Yeah I like rookies being included in the startup, most fair way to do things by far.