Saquon Barkley injury fantasy tip: Pick up AJ Dillon or Will Shipley? Eagles' RB depth chart matters for Week 6

Billy Heyen

Saquon Barkley injury fantasy tip: Pick up AJ Dillon or Will Shipley? Eagles' RB depth chart matters for Week 6 image

The news came a bit out of nowhere on Monday.

Philadelphia Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley popped up on the injury report for Week 6. It's a quick turnaround for Philly from the Sunday loss to Denver, as they take on the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.

Barkley was listed as a DNP with a knee injury. The Monday reports before TNF are essentially estimated practice reports, as teams don't hold full practices, but it's still not a good sign.

The Tuesday injury report should come out midday and will likely paint a better picture, but for now, Barkley's fantasy managers could be in a tough spot.

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Should I pick up AJ Dillon or Will Shipley?

If Barkley misses time, Dillon and Shipley will likely split the work in his absence.

Dillon has seen slightly more offensive snaps in recent weeks than Shipley, but both have played in reserve. Shipley does more special teams work, so if that were to continue, Dillon would likely see more offensive action.

The former Packers RB Dillon is the more powerful runner and makes sense for goal-line situations. His touchdown chances definitely seem higher than Shipley's.

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The shiftier Shipley is a good pass catcher and would be a solid option in PPR formats in a pinch if Barkley is out.

It's worth snagging at least one of them off the waiver wire as a handcuff to Barkley just in case. Dillon's floor is probably a bit higher than Shipley's, so he probably should be the slightly higher priority.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle