Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Jordan Mason

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.

Monday, February 2, 5:31 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason had a career-high 159 rushing attempts for 758 yards (career-low 4.8 yards per carry) and a career-high six rushing touchdowns in 16 games (five starts) in 2025 in his first year with the team. The 26-year-old added a career-best 14 receptions on 16 targets for 51 yards through the air. He'll be under contract with the Vikes again in 2026 after signing a two-year, $10.5 million deal in March of last year. Mason's fantasy ceiling was capped while working in a timeshare with Aaron Jones, who is also under contract through next season, and he finished as the RB34 in half-PPR scoring while averaging only 7.7 fantasy points per game. In what should be a similar role in 2026, Mason will be an RB3/flex target later in fantasy football drafts as the power back for Minnesota. Those who roster the oft-injured Jones would be wise to handcuff him to Mason.