Who Should I Start? Michael Thomas or Saquon Barkley

Wednesday, September 11, 8:40 PM

The National Football League on Wednesday announced that it has lifted the suspension of free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas was suspended for the first game of the 2024 NFL season for an incident with a construction worker near his home last year. The fact that the 31-year-old remained without a team all offseason is a sign that he may struggle to latch on with an organization despite the fact that he's past his one-game suspension. Just several years ago, Thomas was the best receiver in the league, but injuries have limited him to 20 games since the start of the 2020 campaign, and he played in just 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last year before a knee injury ended his season. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards and one touchdown in 2023. Thomas belongs on the waiver wire in all leagues and is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar in 2024.

Thursday, December 18, 4:40 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (stinger) was a full practice participant on Thursday and will not carry an injury designation into his team's Week 16 matchup against the Washington Commanders on Saturday. Barkley suffered a stinger in the Eagles' Week 15 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but the injury will not result in missed time. Across 14 games this season, the 28-year-old has recorded 1,213 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns on 277 touches. His average of 3.9 yards per carry is down nearly two full yards from the 5.8 yards per carry he averaged in his first season in Philadelphia in 2024. Still, Barkley has logged touchdowns in back-to-back games entering Week 16 and profiles as a must-start fantasy running back in a favorable matchup against Washington.