Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Trey Benson

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.

Thursday, January 29, 6:17 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) very well could have had a Year 2 breakout season in 2025 had he not injured his knee early on. Benson ended up playing in only four games in his second year in the NFL, carrying the ball 29 times for 160 yards and no touchdowns while catching 13 of 16 targets for 64 yards. Primary RB James Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3. Conner is under contract for one more season, so if the 23-year-old Benson is healthy in 2026, he'll likely operate as the RB2 in the desert. Benson never had a major role behind Conner in his rookie campaign, totaling 63 rushing attempts for 291 yards and only one touchdown in 13 games played. On top of Benson's injury concerns -- he also had a major knee injury in college -- the Cardinals will have an entirely new coaching staff next season, and it's unclear what direction they'll go in at quarterback.