Saquon Barkley is having a season to forget.
The Philadelphia Eagles star running back has dealt with injuries in addition to a team underperforming expectations, but Barkley returned from a two-game absence to play against the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football" in Week 7.
However, Barkley spent some time in the blue medical tent and played sporadically in the first half, saying after the game that he tweaked his hamstring on his first carry of the game. He later added a back injury to that while trying to compensate for the hamstring issue.
That has put the running back's status for Week 8 in question. And if Barkley does suit up, how healthy will he really be?
Here's the latest on Barkley's status for "Sunday Night Football" and his fantasy
outlook if he plays.
Is Saquon Barkley playing tonight?
Barkley doesn't have an injury designation for Week 8 and is expected to play against the Commanders on "Sunday Night Football."
He practiced in a limited capacity on Friday, Oct. 30 and said "I would hope so," when asked by WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks if he would be able to play.
The running back missed a pair of practices to start the week, meaning his Friday return could be seen as a positive development.
It appears the Eagles situation didn't factor too much into the decision. Philadelphia is 2-5 this season and is a longshot to win the NFC East – with no real path to a wild card spot. Barkley can also find his name in trade rumors ahead of the deadline on Nov. 10, meaning there was a question if the Eagles would want to protect the running back from himself, as well as a potential trade asset.
Barkley was hampered by the injury in Week 7 and there could be some question as to how his body responds to playing on a short week.
The 29-year-old was asked by The Athletic's Brooks Kubena how he weighed playing through injury against potentially making the injury worse:
“If it happens, it happens,” Barkley said, via Kubena. “I kind of just have a mindset of putting it in God’s hands, work my butt off. I’m not gonna put myself out there if I’m like, ‘I can’t go.’ I put myself in a position where I feel like I can go and I can protect myself, and if the worst happens, that’s life and just keep moving on and we’ll figure it out if that happens.
"But I’d rather go out swinging than sitting there knowing I can go – tucking my tail because I’m worried about outcomes that I can’t control."
Should I start Saquon Barkley in fantasy?
It truly depends on your roster. Running backs are tough to find and most rosters won't be able to afford the luxury of sitting Barkley due to injury concerns.
However, there is always a chance that he's limited even though he is going to play. Given that Barkley could be in-and-out of the lineup, he could be looked at as a touchdown-dependent option in your lineup. Unfortunately, you might have no choice but to start the running back and hope for the best.
If you do have the lineup flexibility and can sit Barkley, that is the best course of action.
Eagles RB depth chart
- Saquon Barkley
- Jaydon Blue
- Elijah Mitchell
Blue is the only remaining running back on the active roster, outside of Barkley. The team does have Mitchell on the practice squad, meaning he will likely be elevated for game day – even if it is just for some added insurance.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Saquon Barkley playing today? Latest on Eagles RB status ahead 'SNF'
