Matthew Berry Says Drafting This Star Running Back in the First Round Would Be a Mistake
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Matthew Berry is fond of saying that fantasy football drafts aren't won in the first round, but they can be lost if you make a big mistake. "A lot of your points—more than 30 percent—will come from your first two picks. So that's where you want to be rock solid and safe,"
In a recent interview with Men's Health, Berry opened up about one of the more serious missteps he thinks many fantasy owners are already making in ESPN's leagues.
Asked which player is getting picked too high in most drafts, Berry didn't hesitate. "Saquon Barkley," he said. Acknowledging that Barkley is a bona fide star back, which many teams will feel pressure to pick up in the early rounds this season given the relative lack of depth at the position, Berry argued Barkley would actually be a safer choice at the top of the second round.
"My concern with Barkley is that coming off a serious knee injury. Is there a chance he misses some games? Is there a chance they don't give them as heavy a workload because they're concerned about him just coming off the injury? There are also concerns about the offensive line," he reasoned. Berry also pointed to Barkley's less-than-stellar production last season in games where he didn't have at least one big play, and explained why those might be harder to come by this year.
"In games where Saquon Barkley does not have a 25-yard or longer carry, he averages 3.3 yards per carry. That means he needs volume and passing game usage, although there are certainly a lot more weapons for the Giants than there were previously," Berry said. "If you pay Kenny Golladay 72 million dollars, you should probably throw it to him. So I think there are a lot of little red flags."
Read the entire interview for more of Berry's advice about sleeper picks to watch out for, common mistakes beginner fantasy owners make, and which star wide receiver's stock has fallen the most since last season.
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