Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Royce Freeman

Thursday, September 17, 7:22 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley opened 2026 with a much better rushing performance than fantasy managers became used to seeing last season. Barkley took 15 carries for 83 yards in Sunday's 24-22 win over Washington, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt and breaking off a 42-yard run that set up Philadelphia's second touchdown. The efficiency is the important part here. Barkley averaged only 4.1 yards per carry in 2025 after posting a 5.8 mark during his 2,005-yard 2024 season. His grip on the backfield also hasn't changed. Barkley handled 15 of the Eagles' 18 running-back carries and played 39 offensive snaps, while Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby combined for just three rushing attempts. The passing-game production wasn't there, as Barkley caught one of two targets for minus-three yards. Still, Week 1 offered an encouraging first look at a player coming off a down year by his standards. Barkley was already an RB1, but an efficient opener makes a bounce-back season look more plausible.