Matt

Breida

Breida wasn’t expected to be long for the 49ers after signing with them earlier this month. His signing came following an injury to Isaac Guerendo, and the Niners are already deep at running back with Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, and Jordan Mason sitting atop the depth chart. In addition to Breida, the 49ers also released RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn and waived P Pressley Harvin, OL Lewis Kidd, and WR Jontre Kirklin.

Rookie Isaac Guerendo picked up a hamstring injury on the first day of camp and presumed top backup Elijah Mitchel did not practice on Monday, both of which could have combined to force the 49ers’ hand in bringing in a familiar veteran face. Whether or not Breida’s presence is anything more than camp depth remains to be seen, but the two sides reunite for the first time since 2019.

In a low-scoring affair, Barkley got 13 touches as a focal point of the Giants offense. However, Tommy DeVito and Isaiah Hodgins connected on the sole Giants touchdown and the offense was hardly in the red zone the rest of the game. Matt Breida took a few touches, but otherwise continued to be irrelevant in the backfield. Barkley is operating in slow Giants offense with low scoring opportunities, making him a volatile fringe RB1 moving forward. He first gets a bye week in Week 13.

Breida was out-carried by rookie Eric Gray for the first time this year. Breida remained the start in Saquon Barkley’s absence, but the Giants clearly looked to Gray to help give their lifeless offense a spark. He rushed for a measly 25 yards on his 12 attempts. Neither New York running back will project for usable fantasy numbers in Week 6 against the Bills if Barkley remains sidelined.

Barkley has been practicing in a limited capacity for multiple weeks but is not fully ready to return from the high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2. He was listed as questionable on Friday but will have to wait until at least Week 6 to retake the field. Matt Breida will draw the start in Week 5. As a massive underdog to the Dolphins, he shouldn’t see much work on the ground. He will rank as an RB3 and has a far better outlook in PPR leagues.

Barkley is trying to work his way back from a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 2. Having already missed two games, it’s possible Barkley returns this week in a big matchup against the Dolphins, but he sounds like a legitimate game-time decision. If he’s unable to go, Matt Breida would once again draw the start against a bad Dolphins defense, giving him some low-end RB2 upside. In addition to Barkley, left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) has already been ruled out, ensuring Daniel Jones will once again be running for his life.

Brightwell functioned as the Giants’ No. 2 back behind Matt Breida, who had 14 carries for a meager 30 yards. No one in the New York backfield is fantasy viable while Saquon Barkley (ankle) is sidelined. Brightwell should remain on waiver wires.

Breida routinely served as Daniel Jones’ outlet on a night the New York quarterback was sacked 10 times. The relentless pressure generated from the Seattle front was more of a testament to the poor pass protection of the Giants than it was any exotic blitz scheme dialed up by defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt. Either way, Breida’s run as the starter in New York likely comes to an end with lead back Saquon Barkley expected back in the lineup for a Week 5 meeting with the Dolphins in Miami.

With the Giants not playing until Monday night, Thursday marks the team’s first practice of the week. Barkley will presumably practice in a limited capacity, as the team looks to evaluate his status ahead of Week 4’s matchup against the Seahawks. We may not know more on his official status until closer to game day, so these practices will be something to monitor throughout the week. If Barkley is unable to go, Matt Breida could have some deep flex appeal, but it’s worth noting he had only seven touches in Week 3.

It was the definition of “saved his fantasy night with a touchdown.” Pro Football Focus charted Breida as dominating the Giants’ backfield snaps, but he wasn’t able to cobble together touch volume since the G-Men spent the entire evening playing from behind, frequently by two scores. He also got out-gained 36-18 by Gary Brightwell despite the No. 2 back also handling just six touches. With Saquon Barkley finally admitting before the game he is battling a high-ankle sprain, it is probably going to be these two backs again for Week 4 against the Seahawks, but it could be Brightwell who gets a chance to operate as the 1A the second time around. Breida can’t be trusted as a FLEX even in what should be better game script against a softer opponent.