Giants RB Saquon Barkley and Raiders RB Josh Jacobs were left without contracts earlier this week, much to the dismay of running backs across the NFL.
With extensions no longer a possibility for the star runners, they’ll be forced to either play on the tag in 2023 or forfeit money they would earn by playing. While training camp holdouts appear to be on the table for both players, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where significant time is missed in the regular season by either RB.
In the meantime in fantasy drafts leading up to the start of the new season, neither RB should necessarily be avoided – but the selection of other high-quality players could be prioritized over them given the uncertainty around their respective availabilities.