Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Rhamondre Stevenson

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
15.2 75.2 0.5 2.3 18.3 0.1

Saquon Barkley News

Saquon Barkley Standing Out in New-Look Eagles Offense

Thursday, August 20, 12:17 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley "consistently found running room within (new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's) wide zone concepts" during the team's joint practice session with the New England Patriots, per Zach Berman of The Athletic. After collecting 2,283 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns across 16 games in his first season with Philadelphia in 2024, Barkley's numbers regressed across the board in 2025. While still highly productive overall, Barkley's yards per carry dropped from 5.8 to 4.1, and his yards per touch fell from 6.0 to 4.5. The Eagles have a new play-caller for the upcoming year in Sean Mannion. Based on the early returns in camp, it appears as though the new system could be a boon for Barkley's production as he enters his age-29 season. RotoBaller currently ranks Barkley as the RB7 for redraft leagues ahead of 2026.

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
11.0 43.4 0.4 2.1 17.3 0.1

Rhamondre Stevenson News

Rhamondre Stevenson Projected as the Patriots' Lead Back to Begin the Season

Saturday, August 22, 6:19 AM

The New England Patriots recently completed two joint practices with the Eagles ahead of Saturday night's preseason matchup, and while the stout interior of Philadelphia's defensive front allowed for very little running room, veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson did manage to pop a handful of outside runs, and team writer Evan Lazar sees him emerging as the team's lead back to begin the season. While Lazar notes that second-year back TreVeyon Henderson will still have a major role in a change-of-pace capacity, particularly if he can continue to make strides in pass protection, he believes that Stevenson has more consistently made plays between the tackles while seeing the bulk of the work with quarterback Drake Maye and the first team offense. Stevenson missed three games in 2025, but he outscored Henderson by half a fantasy point per game and was the back most commonly on the field during New England's four-game postseason run. Even still, he is currently being drafted as the RB28, almost two full rounds behind Henderson.

Saquon Barkley vs. Rhamondre Stevenson

Still trying to decide between Barkley and Stevenson? 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 15.2 points this week while Rhamondre Stevenson is projected to score 11.0 points.