Giants' Saquon Barkley medically cleared to return, expected to play in Week 1 vs. Broncos, per report

Big Blue's biggest weapon is back, but fantasy owners should exercise caution

Things have been trending this way for weeks now, and the New York Giants have finally received the news they've been waiting to hear for a very long time now: Saquon Barkley is back. The all-world talent is reportedly cleared medically to return to the field and is expected to play in Week 1 when the Giants take on the Denver Broncos, per Jordan Ranaan of ESPN, fully healthy after months of recovery following a season-ending torn ACL suffered in Week 2 of the 2020 regular season. 

Should Barkley suit up as expected on Sunday, it'll mark 11 months from the last time he took a meaningful football snap and, for him, it'll be more meaningful than usual. That's because Barkley is also entering a year that will ultimately help determine his future with the franchise, having seen his fifth-year option exercised that will keep him under contract through the 2022 season but, realistically speaking, it's how he holds up physically this year that will be the lynchpin in contract talks to come. 

But, for now, it's all about what he brings with him in his return, and that's a halfback skill set rarely seen in the history of football.

To put it plainly, Barkley is lethal. Adding him back to the mix is the equivalent of the Giants getting their nuclear warhead out of maintenance, and few can be more thrilled about his return than quarterback Daniel Jones. With Barkley in tow, opposing defenses must honor his presence and attempt to throw an extra body or two in the box to stop him, and that frees up real estate for Jones to operate with a receiving corps now headlined by free agent acquisition Kenny Golladay (who himself is playing after battling a hamstring injury in August).

For fantasy owners thinking of starting Barkley in Week 1, however, that may be a call best reserved for Week 2 and/or beyond, because it remains unclear just how much work he'll get against the Broncos. 

It's doubtful he'll be completely unleashed in his first game back, but instead a much more measured approach by head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, with the understanding this is now a 17-game season and they can't afford any setbacks in the first game that could create issues down the road. So expect a strong workload from Devontae Booker and rookie sixth-round pick Gary Brightwell, with a little fullback action mixed in as well.

Of course, if Barkley hits a home run on one of the touches he does get, well, that's just Barkley being Barkley; and it would announce his return to the field with a resounding "kaboom."