Fantasy Football 2018: Saquon Barkley and Top Rookies to Target in Mock Drafts

It's not uncommon for a rookie running back to take the NFL by storm and turn in a dominant first-year campaign. Last year, the New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara accumulated 1,554 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns on just 201 touches. In 2016, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott amassed 1,994 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns despite sitting the final game for rest.

This year, rookie running backs look like the cream of the crop among first-year skill position players—of note, seven were taken within the top 60 in the draft.

From a fantasy football perspective, it's key to decipher which rookies can break out. In some cases, the candidates are obvious (like Elliott), but in other cases, it's not as clear (like Kamara).

The New York Giants' Saquon Barkley leads the way for this year's rookie class. Here's a closer look at him and two other first-year backs who may have excellent opening campaigns.

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley

A phenomenal dual threat out of the backfield at Penn State, running back Saquon Barkley posted 5,038 yards from scrimmage and 51 touchdowns in three seasons.

He also tied for second on the team in receptions with 54 in 2017, and that pass-catching ability makes him a clear late first-round candidate in fantasy football drafts.

If training camp reports are any indication, the Giants will have no qualms about using him in the pass game. 

Per Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media, Barkley has split out wide as a receiver on occasion in training camp:

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur also noted post-draft that it's possible Barkley could have a big workload. The answer below is in response to a question regarding whether he thought the former PSU star could manage 25-27 touches per game a la the Pittsburgh Steelers' LeVeon Bell (h/t Big Blue Interactive):

"He could be. He could handle that type of a load if need be. We'll just have to see as we go and put this thing together. He's one of a bunch of guys that we're going to get in the mix—Eli, him, Odell, Evan and ideally if we can spread the ball around and block him well, Shep. I mean we've got a lot of really good players and he's going to be one of them."

The other key to Barkley's success is the skill-position talent around him: Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the best pass-catchers in the game, and wideout Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram have also shown tremendous potential.

It will be hard for defenses to cover all four players, which may lead to better opportunities for Barkley. If he gets matched up against a linebacker, watch out.

Washington Redskins RB Derrius Guice

Picked 59th overall, Washington Redskins running back Derrius Guice enjoyed a productive three-year career at LSU, rushing for 6.5 yards per carry and 29 touchdowns.

He's receiving hype from numerous sources as training camp rolls along. Of note, Scott Allen of The Washington Post quoted 'Skins quarterback Alex Smith as saying he didn't "feel like there's a real weakness in (Guice's) game."

Ignore the fact that Guice is listed fourth on the team's first unofficial depth chart of training camp. Per ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim in a July 26 article, "Guice will make a big impact from the get-go. ... So it would be surprising if someone other than Guice opened the season as the starter."

Keim also projected Guice's 2018 stats, and among them, he marked the former LSU Tiger down for 1,207 yards from scrimmage, 25 catches and eight touchdowns.

Guice likely won't bring as much value in point-per-reception leagues as someone like Barkley, but in standard competition, he's a solid candidate for a fantasy team's second running back slot and could even be a lead back as the season rolls along.

He's already ranked well in FantasyPros' expert consensus rankings, slotting 17th in the standard table prior to the season. A move up the boards to the top 12 would not be a surprise at all.

Denver Broncos RB Royce Freeman

Former Denver Broncos running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis gave some positive remarks on current Broncos back Royce Freeman on NFL Total Access on July 31 (h/t Chris Wesseling of NFL.com): "I've talked to people in Denver, and they're just thrilled by what they see in camp and what they saw in minicamp from Royce Freeman. They think he's going to be the starting running back."

Freeman, who rushed for 5,621 yards and 60 touchdowns in four years at the University of Oregon, is second on the depth chart. However, head coach Vance Joseph noted to reporters that "it means nothing right now" and that the team had to get through its preseason games and remaining practices before making final decisions.

Freeman's main competition for carries is Devontae Booker, who is listed as the starter. Booker has shown flashes at times during his two-year career, but he has averaged just 3.6 yards per carry thus far.

However, he has shown pass-catching chops, hauling in 61 passes for 540 yards and a score during his first two seasons. His catch rate also improved from 68.9 percent in 2016 to 78.9 percent last year, per Pro Football Reference.

Long story short, Booker may be a better long-term fit as a third-down back, and Freeman, who wasn't asked to catch the ball much in college (19.75-catch average in four years), could be the better fit for an early-down role.

That means more touches and scoring opportunities for Freeman, especially if new quarterback Case Keenum and rookie wideout Courtland Sutton help rejuvenate a Broncos offense that finished 27th in points per game.