Giants' Wayne Gallman Fantasy Outlook After Saquon Barkley Ankle Injury

Fantasy owners will have to get by without New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley for the time being. The superstar suffered an ankle injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and was ruled out while returning to the sidelines on crutches.

Barkley became an overwhelming sensation in fantasy circles as soon as the Giants made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He delivered on all of his hype with a league-leading 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns as a rookie.

There didn't appear to be any chance of a sophomore slump when Barkley racked up over 100 rushing yards in each of the first two games in 2019, but the latest injury could cause him to miss some time.

The Giants have one intriguing option to keep an eye on as fantasy owners scour the waiver wire for potential replacements.

Wayne Gallman seems likely to become the primary option out of the backfield. The former Clemson star had a solid rookie season in 2017 with 476 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry and 34 receptions.

Because Barkley became the focal point of New York's offense, Gallman only touched the ball 65 times and scored one touchdown last season. He got off to a solid start in 2019 with 41 yards and one rushing touchdown on five touches against the Dallas Cowboys.

The other player potentially in line for an increase in playing time is Elijhaa Penny, though he's only carried the ball 40 times since the start of 2017. Until the 26-year-old shows what he's capable of doing with expanded playing time, there's no reason to add him.

Gallman, who is available in 99 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, should be elevated to a flex spot on your fantasy team if you are looking to replace yardage and receptions lost because of Barkley's absence.

Fantasy info via Fantasy Pros.