Who Should I Start? James Conner or Saquon Barkley

Thursday, July 2, 5:38 AM

Even in accumulating more than 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was considered one of fantasy's biggest disappointments in 2025, finishing the year as RB14. Following a historic 2,000-yard campaign in 2024, there was reasonably but one direction to go, and while Barkley's 346 total touches in 2025 were still the sixth most in the league, that number was down almost 140 touches from the previous season. Barkley is now 29 years old, and while durability concerns continue to mount, he no longer carries a top-of-the-draft price tag and could realistically be viewed as a value in his third season with the Eagles. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion projects to run more under-center looks while involving his backs in the passing game, allowing Barkley to play more with a head of steam or out in space. An emphasis on wide-zone runs and an expectation that the team could rely more on 2025 trade acquisition Tank Bigsby could also help keep Barkley fresh throughout the year and help restore some of the explosiveness that showed up far less frequently than in the previous season. At RotoBaller's RB6, Barkley is still a back that fantasy managers can feel good about making their RB1 even if they aren't situated at the top of 2026 draft boards.