Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Isiah Pacheco
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.7 | 76.3 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 19.7 | 0.1 |
Saquon Barkley News
Friday, August 28, 5:46 PM
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley cooled off a little last season relative to the year prior, but he's still worth drafting as a top-12 running back in 2026 fantasy drafts. Barkley had 1,413 scrimmage yards and a modest nine touchdowns last season, ranking as the RB14 in PPR leagues. He has been a top-14 fantasy running back in each of the last four seasons, including a finish as the overall RB2 in 2024. The 29-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, and he's actually trending back upward in a new-look Eagles offense. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has introduced wide zone concepts that should benefit Barkley by increasing his yards per carry and perhaps leading to more touchdown opportunities. You certainly won't be able to get Barkley at a discount, as he comes with an ADP of 14.6. However, he's still a very reasonable target in the early second round of fantasy drafts, especially for fantasy managers who spent their first pick on a wide receiver.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 31.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 0.0 |
Isiah Pacheco News
Thursday, August 27, 8:37 AM
When asked about Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco's (back, knee) status for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Dan Campbell said, "I can't give you anything definitive." Campbell said that Pacheco picked up a back injury in training camp, in addition to his MCL sprain, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Right now, Pacheco's knee is not the concern. If the 27-year-old Pacheco is unavailable to play in the season opener in early September, Sione Vaki is likely to step up into the RB2 role in Detroit behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco ran for 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns on 375 carries while adding 57 catches for 374 yards and two more TDs as a receiver in his first two years with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023, but he combined for just 201 carries, 772 rushing yards, and two touchdowns in 20 games in the last two years while dealing with various injuries. When healthy, he's expected to be the backup in a change-of-pace role for Gibbs, but he is not selling himself as a handcuff target for fantasy managers with more injury issues before the start of the 2026 season. Right now, Pacheco is ranked as the RB54 at RotoBaller.
Saquon Barkley vs. Isiah Pacheco
Still trying to decide between Barkley and Pacheco? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Saquon Barkley is projected to score 15.7 points this week while Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 6.3 points.
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