SaquonBarkley

News: 16 hours agoJeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports that Barkley has been advocating for more plays to be run under center.

Spin: Barkley's most productive season on the ground came in his first with the Eagles in 2024, when he turned 345 carries into 2,005 yards (5.8 YPC) and 13 touchdowns across 16 regular-season games. However, he saw his output dip significantly last year, when he averaged 4.1 yards per carry for 1,140 yards and seven scores in 16 regular-season contests. Fowler notes that Barkley's desire to see more run plays called under center allows the veteran running back to survey the defense more clearly to set up big gains. He logged only seven runs of 20-plus yards and three runs of 40-plus yards last year, compared to 17 runs of 20-plus yards and seven runs of 40-plus yards in 2024.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Barkley is looking to rebound in his ninth NFL season (third with the Eagles) following a big step back in 2025. After producing 2,283 yards and 15 touchdowns on 378 touches in his first season with Philly, Barkley dipped to 1,413 yards and nine scores on 317 touches in 2025. Barkley fell from first among backs in fantasy points per game (22.5) to 15th (14.5). Now 29 years old, it's possible Barkley's best days are behind him, but he's still positioned as a clear feature back in a good offense that will have a healthier line and a new playcaller in Sean Mannion. Barkley is riskier than ever, but he's still worthy of mid- to back-end RB1 consideration.