Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Jahmyr Gibbs

Thursday, January 29, 12:26 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley carried the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship and a lot of fantasy managers to a championship as well in 2024 in his first year with the team, when he ran for a league-high 2,005 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns on a whopping 345 rushing attempts in 16 regular-season games to win Offensive Player of the Year honors. The 28-year-old was a consensus top-three fantasy pick in drafts last fall, but he ended up being a bust (mainly because of Philly's lackluster offense) as the RB15 in half-PPR scoring with 1,140 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 280 carries in the regular season. Barkley added 37 receptions for 273 yards and two scores through the air. The three-time Pro Bowler will still be in the RB1 conversation in 2026 as a workhorse, but his ability to bounce back as a high-end fantasy RB will depend on whether the Eagles' offense can return to its 2024 form.

Saturday, January 31, 5:09 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs posted another excellent season in 2025, recording 1,839 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns on 320 touches across 17 games played. While Gibbs' efficiency dropped slightly from his standout 2024 season, he still averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 5.7 yards per touch. The 23-year-old also set career-highs across the board as a receiver, finishing the year with 77 catches for 616 yards and five touchdowns on 94 targets. Perhaps most importantly for Gibbs' future outlook, he fully moved past fellow Lions running back David Montgomery on the team's depth chart. After the team's Week 8 bye, Montgomery played fewer than 40% of Detroit's offensive snaps in eight out of 10 contests. As long as Gibbs can stay healthy, he profiles as an elite fantasy running back for both 2026 and beyond.