Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Breece Hall

Monday, March 11, 2:57 PM

Free-agent running back Saquon Barkley is signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million deal. The deal includes $26 million in guaranteed money and has an additional $9 million available in incentives. After a 2018 rookie season that saw the former Penn State star go for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns, he has struggled to stay healthy over a chunk of the next five years of his career. He missed 21 games from 2019 to 2021. He bounced back in 2022 with 1,312 rushing yards but regressed to 962 yards in 14 games in 2023. However, the Eagles believe in him as a game-changing running back, as his average salary ($12.58 million) ranks only below Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jonathan Taylor. Although the Eagles' offensive line could take a hit after the retirement of Jason Kelce, Barkley should be playing behind the best offensive line of his career in 2024. He will have an immediate high-end RB1 upside in fantasy football.

Sunday, January 7, 8:15 PM

New York Jets running back Breece Hall handled a whopping 37 carries for 178 yards and a touchdown in a 17-3 win over the division-rival New England Patriots. He secured both of his targets for 12 yards and added a two-point conversion. The second-year pro was featured heavily on Sunday as both teams struggled to pass amid snowy weather conditions. Hall tallied more yards on the ground than the Jets and Patriots gained through the air combined. He also was responsible for the only touchdown of the contest, a 50-yard breakaway run late in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory. With this performance, Hall will conclude the campaign just shy of 1,000 rushing yards, but his 1,585 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns are nothing to scoff at. The 22-year-old should be considered a locked-in fantasy RB1 heading into next season.