Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Sam LaPorta

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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
11.2 0.0 0.0 4.2 48.5 0.3

Sam LaPorta News

Sam LaPorta Dealing With Hip Injury

Thursday, August 20, 8:57 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) is dealing with a hip injury he picked up earlier this week, according to Nolan Bianchi. LaPorta was not practicing Thursday, though head coach Dan Campbell said he doesn't think the issue will threaten the start of his season. Campbell stopped short of guaranteeing that, however. LaPorta was limited to nine games last year after a back injury eventually required surgery, finishing with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. He spent the offseason rehabbing but was back to full participation when Detroit opened training camp in late July. The new hip issue interrupts what had otherwise been a healthy summer for the fourth-year tight end. Campbell's initial outlook is a positive one for fantasy managers, but LaPorta's progress over the next couple of weeks will determine whether that holds.

Saquon Barkley vs. Sam LaPorta

Still trying to decide between Barkley and LaPorta? 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 Sam LaPorta is projected to score 11.2 points.