Fantasy Football 2018 Mock Draft: Is Saquon Barkley a 1st-Rounder with Giants?

Saquon Barkley is officially in the NFL, and he should already be on your fantasy football radar.

The New York Giants selected the former Penn State running back with the No. 2 pick of the 2018 NFL draft, and he has a chance to be the biggest impact player in the class. While the quarterbacks will likely make the most headlines, Barkley will be the one making noise on the field as a rookie.

While there is still a lot of time before the start of the 2018 NFL season, here is how April's draft should affect the first round of fantasy football drafts in points-per-reception leagues.

2018 Fantasy Football Mock Draft

1. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

2. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

3. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

5. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

6. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

7. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

8. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

9. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

10. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

11. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

12. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

The first round of the fantasy draft is often used for locks if you can find them, with players like Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell and Julio Jones the obvious top picks after producing big numbers for years.

Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt, who each came virtually out of nowhere to help win fantasy leagues as rookies last season, could be even better in 2018 with more touches. Kamara should earn a bigger role in the Saints offense, while Hunt will be used to take some pressure off new quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

David Johnson is a bit of a mystery after missing almost all of 2017 with a wrist injury, but he is too talented to let slip out of the first round.

However, it's still a short list of players ahead of Barkley.

As we have seen quite a bit in the past couple of years, rookie running backs can dominate. Kamara, Hunt, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey all finished among the top-10 scorers at the position in PPR leagues, per ESPN.

A year earlier, Ezekiel Elliott was one of the best players in all of football.

Barkley could have that impact thanks to his pure skill and the opportunity ahead of him with his new team.

The running back is clearly extremely talented, considered the No. 1 overall player in the class by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller. He is an outstanding runner with great balance, but perhaps most importantly, he showed the ability to contribute in all aspects of the game.

He finished last season with 1,903 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns, catching 54 passes on the year. He also added two touchdowns on kickoff returns.

While he likely won't be playing much special teams in the NFL, it shows that he can score from anywhere on the field if you get him the ball. He is even better when you can get it to him in space, taking a lot of pressure off the offensive line.

The Giants showed his biggest highlights immediately after drafting him:

Matthew Berry of ESPN also noted the player's physical ability:

The Giants should give him plenty of opportunities from the start, with a depth chart that shouldn't feature much competition for playing time.

Orleans Darkwa led the team with 751 rushing yards last season, but he remains an unsigned free agent. Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins have shown flashes of quality, but they should remain relegated to spot work.

Barkley can take on 20 carries per game right out of the gate, plus the five to 10 targets in the passing game that Shane Vereen received last season.

Meanwhile, the Giants improved the offensive line in the offseason with the free-agent additions of Nate Solder and Patrick Omameh. This should help clear more space in the rushing attack that wasn't there in 2016.

At 230 pounds, Barkley should be the primary goal-line back, too, and it could lead to a lot of fantasy points during his rookie season.

Field Yates of ESPN explained his upcoming strategy for the summer: 

If you want him on your team, you will need to take him early.