Saquon Barkley vs Christian McCaffrey
2026 draft comparison · half-PPR
Updated Aug 19, 2026
All time: Barkley 25.6%McCaffrey 74.4%
Should you draft Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey?
Last season — 2025, per game
Full game log & past seasons
| WK | OPP | FPTS | RANK | ATT | YD | TD | TGT | REC | RYD | RTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | DAL | 16.4 | RB7 | 18 | 60 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 0 |
2 | KC | 16.4 | RB10 | 22 | 88 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
3 | LAR | 7.5 | RB31 | 18 | 46 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
4 | TB | 15.4 | RB17 | 19 | 43 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 31 | 0 |
5 | DEN | 16.3 | RB10 | 6 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 58 | 1 |
6 | NYG | 7.7 | RB21 | 12 | 58 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
7 | MIN | 4.7 | RB38 | 18 | 44 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
8 | NYG | 31.4 | RB4 | 14 | 150 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 1 |
9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
10 | GB | 11.6 | RB20 | 22 | 60 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 41 | 0 |
11 | DET | 9.5 | RB27 | 26 | 83 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
12 | DAL | 8.9 | RB24 | 10 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 52 | 0 |
13 | CHI | 5.6 | RB43 | 13 | 56 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
14 | LAC | 18.2 | RB6 | 20 | 122 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
15 | LV | 16.2 | RB10 | 22 | 78 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
16 | WAS | 21.2 | RB10 | 21 | 132 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
17 | BUF | 6.8 | RB29 | 19 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Earlier seasons (2024)
| WK | OPP | FPTS | RANK | ATT | YD | TD | TGT | REC | RYD | RTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GB | 32.2 | RB1 | 24 | 109 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 1 |
2 | ATL | 15.6 | RB11 | 22 | 95 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 0 |
3 | NO | 31.6 | RB1 | 17 | 147 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
4 | TB | 12.6 | RB21 | 10 | 84 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 0 |
5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6 | CLE | 6.4 | RB32 | 18 | 47 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
7 | NYG | 25.7 | RB3 | 17 | 176 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
8 | CIN | 11.6 | RB25 | 22 | 108 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
9 | JAX | 31.4 | RB1 | 27 | 159 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 1 |
10 | DAL | 8.3 | RB25 | 14 | 66 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
11 | WAS | 32.8 | RB2 | 26 | 146 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 52 | 0 |
12 | LAR | 44.2 | RB1 | 26 | 255 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 47 | 0 |
13 | BAL | 18.7 | RB7 | 23 | 107 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
14 | CAR | 14.4 | RB16 | 20 | 124 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
15 | PIT | 8.4 | RB30 | 19 | 65 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
16 | WAS | 27.0 | RB4 | 29 | 150 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
17 | DAL | 17.9 | RB6 | 31 | 167 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| WK | OPP | FPTS | RANK | ATT | YD | TD | TGT | REC | RYD | RTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SEA | 18.7 | RB5 | 22 | 69 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 73 | 0 |
2 | NO | 19.7 | RB5 | 13 | 55 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 52 | 1 |
3 | ARI | 19.0 | RB8 | 17 | 52 | 0 | 15 | 10 | 88 | 0 |
4 | JAX | 23.1 | RB8 | 17 | 49 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 92 | 1 |
5 | LAR | 23.9 | RB6 | 22 | 57 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 82 | 1 |
6 | TB | 20.6 | RB9 | 17 | 54 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 57 | 0 |
7 | ATL | 35.6 | RB1 | 24 | 129 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 72 | 0 |
8 | HOU | 8.3 | RB28 | 8 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 43 | 0 |
9 | NYG | 31.8 | RB1 | 28 | 106 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 67 | 1 |
10 | LAR | 13.6 | RB16 | 12 | 30 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 66 | 0 |
11 | ARI | 32.6 | RB2 | 13 | 81 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 40 | 1 |
12 | CAR | 23.7 | RB3 | 24 | 89 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 53 | 0 |
13 | CLE | 15.4 | RB12 | 20 | 53 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 0 |
14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
15 | TEN | 15.2 | RB14 | 22 | 73 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
16 | IND | 29.6 | RB3 | 21 | 117 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 29 | 2 |
17 | CHI | 26.1 | RB4 | 23 | 140 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 41 | 0 |
18 | SEA | 8.7 | RB23 | 8 | 23 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 0 |
Earlier seasons (2024)
| WK | OPP | FPTS | RANK | ATT | YD | TD | TGT | REC | RYD | RTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
8 | BYE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
10 | TB | 13.7 | RB11 | 13 | 39 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 68 | 0 |
11 | SEA | 12.6 | RB16 | 19 | 79 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 0 |
12 | GB | 6.3 | RB31 | 11 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 0 |
13 | BUF | 7.7 | RB34 | 7 | 53 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
Latest takes
“There is a healthy trove of data showing regression for players the year following such a wildly busy season — as recently as last year, we saw Saquon Barkley ‘s production drop off steeply from 2024, when he led the league with over 2,000 rushing yards.”
Kyle Lesti· Aug 11“I think Barkley could have a bounce-back year, and he is being underrated. After he was going 1.01 in drafts, most fantasy owners will rightfully feel burned by him this year.”
Jason Kamlowsky· Aug 11“After an insane 2024 season, Saquon Barkley was poised to come back down to earth some in 2025.”
FantasyPros Staff· Aug 7
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“If anything were to happen to Saquon Barkley , Bigsby would be a huge beneficiary for fantasy.”
Kurt Mullen· Jul 29“31 10 21 James Cook 13 5 8 Josh Jacobs 7 15 -8 Saquon Barkley 2 13 -11 Bucky Irving 10 33 -23 In past years, so many top RBs have gotten hurt that the Zero (or hero) RB draft strategies have become popular.”
Jordan Pullett· Jul 29“Likely everyone’s biggest question around the Eagles is, can Saquon Barkley bounce back in 2026? The simple answer is yes; it is in the range of outcomes. However, the reality is that Saquon is 29 and getting older.”
Maggie Thraen· Jul 25“For 2025, Saquon had an 8% greater success rate running Outside vs Inside Zone .”
Vernon Meighan· Jul 21“While a minor post-Super Bowl efficiency dip was baked into 2025 projections, Saquon Barkley ’s drop from RB4 draft capital to an RB14 positional finish exposed severe infrastructure cracks.”
Vernon Meighan· Jul 21“After finishing last year as the RB14, fantasy players should avoid drafting Barkley as a mid-range RB1.”
Mike Fanelli· Jul 20“Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI) After running laps around the position in 2024, Saquon Barkley’s finish of RB14 was a shock. Despite only missing one game, he scored 214 fantasy points compared to the 339 points he scored in 2024.”
Ellis Johnson· Jul 17“Given the season he had in 2024 and the expectations created for gamers, Barkley may have produced the most disappointing 1,413-yard, 9-touchdown season in history. Regression was certainly expected coming off his historic run the year before, and a lot went wrong for this offense.”
Rich Hribar· Jul 7“Add this all up — plus another 300+ projected touches — and Barkley could be looking at another top-five season at running back at a significant discount on Fantrax. He has a realistic path to another 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 10+ touchdowns.”
Ryan Kirksey· Jul 7“With a new offensive coordinator and a healthy offensive line, it's not hard to start seeing the positives for Barkley. The Eagles running back is the undoubted No. 1 RB on an offense that will score points.”
Tom Strachan· Jun 30“Barkley had an absurd number of touches in 2024 and ran hot on explosive runs. Once he and the Eagles were hit with regression, it was no wonder things crashed back to Earth.”
Tom Strachan· Jun 30“Over the last two seasons, Barkley has averaged just 35 receptions for 275 receiving yards and two touchdowns. A decline in per-touch efficiency, as he nears 30, is also working against him, as he has steadily transitioned away from being a big-play threat and into more of a volume-based option at running back.”
Evan Tarracciano· Jun 25
“He’s entering his age-30 season with a lot of miles on the tread. McCaffrey is absolutely capable of smashing, but he could also miss some games. Since 2020, he’s missed half the season or more three times.”
Kyle Zeigler· Aug 18“In a full PPR format, CMC represents one of the few RBs in the league who really benefits from the extra bump per reception. McCaffrey had a whopping 102 receptions last season and could very well be one of the main receiving weapons in San Francisco again in 2026.”
Kurt Mullen· Aug 14“Christian McCaffrey | RB, San Francisco 49ers Heading into what will be his 10th season in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey is coming off another season of monstrous volume.”
Kyle Lesti· Aug 11
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“Fantasy Football Research & Advice Fantasy Football Expert Rankings 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Kit Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Pick 1.04 Players to Consider at 1.04 Fantasy Football Draft Pick These players will likely be available when you make your selection: Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN) Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA) Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF) It’s fair to assume at least one of Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs will be gone, if not both, as they’re the consensus top two picks.”
Tom Strachan· Aug 11“Plenty of people have been hurt by fading Christian McCaffrey over the years, and it feels like a dangerous prospect when CMC was the RB1 in PPR points per game, scored 24.5 last year, 2.5 more than Bijan Robinson.”
Tom Strachan· Aug 9“McCaffrey fell to 1.95 YAC/A (41st among 51 running backs with at least 90 carries) and -0.54 RYOE/A (47th). Given his age and injury history I’d bet heavily against McCaffrey turning the tides on his declining rush efficiency. Fortunately, he showed absolutely no sign of decline as a receiving threat.”
Jakob Sanderson· Aug 8“McCaffrey is coming off a season where he touched the ball 400+ times and finished all but one week of the season as a top-24 RB. The biggest “if” with CMC is his health, but when he is on the field, he is a fantasy league winner.”
Kurt Mullen· Aug 7“Now, there are outliers — guys like Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry continue to defy the odds and crush it.”
Wolf Trelles-Heard· Aug 7“He's scored 20 TDs twice including last season when he finished as the RB2 overall behind Christian McCaffrey”
FFToday· Aug 6“Mason was the RB9 in week’s 1-7 in 2024 while filling in for Christian McCaffrey and found himself as a popular zero RB target a year ago after a trade to the Vikings”
Chad Workman· Aug 6“2 running back in San Francisco behind Christian McCaffrey”
Mike Fanelli· Aug 6“6 | Diff: +22 Kaelon Black looks to have an early edge to climb into the clear RB2 spot on the 49ers’ depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey , with Jordan James now dealing with a rib fracture.”
FantasyPros Staff· Aug 5“2 Something to note is that while Christian McCaffrey did not reach the total rushing attempts needed to hit this criterion last season, he did have 311 carries, along with 102 receptions, putting his total workload at a similar number.”
Jordan Pullett· Jul 29“Top-12 Drafted RBs in 2025 RB 2025 ADP 2024 Finish 2025 Games Played Bijan Robinson RB1 RB3 17 Saquon Barkley RB2 RB13 16 Jahmyr Gibbs RB3 RB4 17 Christian McCaffrey RB4 RB1 17 Derrick Henry RB5 RB7 17 Ashton Jeanty RB6 RB12 17 Josh Jacobs RB7 RB15 15 De’Von Achane RB8 RB6 16 Jonathan Taylor RB9 RB2 17 Bucky Irving RB10 RB33 10 Chase Brown RB11 RB8 17 Kyren Williams RB12 RB9 17 2025 RB Health Last season, nine out of 12 top RBs drafted finished as an RB1, resulting in a mostly chalky season at the top for RBs.”
Jordan Pullett· Jul 29“The last time McCaffrey had over 400 touches in a year, the superstar missed 69.7% of the games over the next two seasons because of injury.”
Mike Fanelli· Jul 28