Barkley (knee) is on track to play Sunday against the Broncos despite being listed as questionable for the contest, but the running back is expected to be "eased in and used sparingly" in his 2021 debut, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After sustaining a torn ACL, mild MCL tear and partial meniscus tear to his right knee Week 2 of last season and subsequently undergoing surgery, Barkley has received full medical clearance just over 11 months later, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. While Barkley is thus on track to avoid the inactive list in the 2021 season opener, the Giants seemingly aren't planning on him handling his usual bell-cow role for at least his first game back. How extensively Barkley is used may ultimately come down to game flow and how he looks in his initial snaps early in the contest, but the wide range for his projected Week 1 workload makes him less of a slam-dunk lineup option than usual in season-long leagues, particularly in shallower formats where fantasy managers may have more appealing alternatives on hand.