Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Jordan Wilkins

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.

Saturday, October 28, 12:20 PM

The Browns elevated running back Jordan Wilkins from the practice squad ahead of the team's upcoming meeting in Seattle. Under normal circumstances, this move wouldn't be newsworthy. However, it may paint a bigger picture, potentially signaling an impending absence by Jerome Ford (ankle), who remains questionable for Week 8. Fortunately for Cleveland, Kareem Hunt (thigh) was removed from the injury report, so he'll be the No. 1 option out of the backfield versus the Seahawks. Pierre Strong Jr. should also get some work, so fantasy managers shouldn't consider adding Wilkins in any format, considering the move was likely made purely for depth purposes.