Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Isiah Pacheco

Friday, February 20, 8:00 AM

In his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, running back Saquon Barkley tallied nearly 2,300 yards from scrimmage and finished third in the NFL MVP voting while leading his team to a Super Bowl ring. While Barkley was still an impact player in 2025, he wasn't able to reach anywhere near the same heights in his second season in Philadelphia. Across 16 games played, Barkley recorded 1,413 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns on 317 touches. After averaging a ridiculously efficient 5.8 yards per carry in 2024, Barkley logged a much more pedestrian 4.1 yards per carry in 2025. As he enters his age-29 season in 2026, it's fair to wonder how much Barkley still has left in the tank. Including the postseason, the veteran back has logged over 800 touches over the past years. The Eagles' strong offensive line also took a step back in 2025, although the team did get some positive news on star right tackle Lane Johnson, who recently announced he plans to return for another season in 2026. In the short term, Barkley remains one of the top running back options in fantasy football. However, his dynasty stock is trending in the wrong direction due to the possibility of age-related decline.

Thursday, February 5, 11:28 AM

After an injury-marred campaign in 2024, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco entered 2025 in need of a bounce-back effort. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old struggled with inefficiency, recording 563 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 137 touches across 13 games played. Pacheco averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, his second-straight season under four yards per rush attempt after averaging 4.7 yards per carry over the first two years of his career. Pacheco spent most of the 2025 season splitting backfield work with veteran Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, with Hunt dominating touches in short-yardage situations and around the goal line. Pacheco is now set to hit unrestricted free agency, so he's not guaranteed to be back in Kansas City. Based on his performance over the last two seasons, it's not hard to imagine a scenario where Pacheco finds himself in a committee backfield or even a straight RB2 role for the 2026 season. In dynasty formats, Pacheco's future fantasy value profiles as uncertain at best coming off his shaky 2025 campaign.