Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Bijan Robinson

Wednesday, February 25, 7:02 AM

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni thinks running back Saquon Barkley will "be exceptional" in the new offensive system in 2026, according to Zach Berman and Brooks Kubena of The Athletic. Barkley had a down year by his standards in 2025, coming off a season in which he led the league in carries (345), rushing yards (2,005), and rushing yards per game (125.3). The 29-year-old had 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns on 280 rushing attempts in 16 regular-season games last year, when the Eagles had lows in yards per rush (4.2), average yards before contact (1.52), total rush EPA (minus-24.81), and rush-success rate (39.1) under Sirianni. The new offensive staff under Sirianni, led by offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, is expected to install "more zone-blocking concepts" that originate from the Shanahan tree. Barkley should still be considered an RB1 in fantasy despite his down 2025 season, and a bounce-back could be coming if he stays healthy.

Wednesday, February 25, 8:12 AM

Three years into his NFL career, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has established himself as arguably the best all-around player at his position in the NFL. Across 17 games played in 2025, Robinson recorded a league-leading 2,298 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns on 366 touches. He made big strides as a receiver out of the backfield this past season. After failing to crack 500 receiving yards in either of his first two seasons, Robinson hauled in 79 catches for 820 yards on 103 targets in 2025. Falcons RB2 Tyler Allgeier is now set to hit free agency, which could mean Robinson is in line for more short-yardage and goal-line opportunities in 2026. Even if Allgeier returns or Atlanta brings in another back, the team's willingness to rotate running backs could be a positive for Robinson overall. He's yet to miss a game to this point in his NFL career. At just 24 years old, Robinson should have a long window of production ahead of him and profiles as a worthy 1.01 player across all fantasy formats heading into 2026.