Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Saquon Barkley

Saturday, August 9, 2:53 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is not expected to play Saturday against the Houston Texans. Jones was the starting running back for the Vikings in 2024, totaling over 300 attempts for 1,546 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns. At 30 years old, it's understandable why the Vikings are choosing to rest Jones, while 2024 first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy will play. Jones was listed as the starting running back for the Vikings in their unofficial depth chart. However, head coach Kevin O'Connell has already mentioned that they will use a committee approach with newly signed running back Jordan Mason. While another 300-attempt season is unlikely, Jones should be drafted as a high-end RB3 in most fantasy football formats.

Friday, August 1, 4:42 PM

Philadelphia Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley saw a "heavy workload as a ball-carrier and a receiver" during the team's training camp practice on Friday, according to Andrew DiCecco of Inside the Birds. A heavy rushing workload is the expectation for Barkley, as he led the NFL in rush attempts (345) and rushing yards (2,005) on his way to winning the AP Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2024. However, Barkley's receiving workload was relatively limited, as his 2.1 receptions per game was the lowest single-season mark of his career. Philadelphia has typically not utilized its running backs in the passing game during the Jalen Hurts era, but the team has also never had a running back as dynamic as Barkley. Modest reception totals are basically the only flaw in Barkley's fantasy profile, so correcting that could put him on track for a second-straight RB1 finish.