Saquon Barkley vs Jahmyr Gibbs

“If anything were to happen to Saquon Barkley , Bigsby would be a huge beneficiary for fantasy.”

“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.”

“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.”

“For 2025, Saquon had an 8% greater success rate running Outside vs Inside Zone .”

“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.”

“After finishing last year as the RB14, fantasy players should avoid drafting Barkley as a mid-range RB1.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Jahmyr Gibbs has never finished with fewer than 11 touchdowns in any of his three seasons and has caught no fewer than 52 passes.”

“Before splitting the backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs , who is currently the highest-paid running back in the league, Montgomery handled more than 200 carries in each of his first five NFL seasons.”

“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.”

“The Case for Jahmyr Gibbs The fantasy arc for Gibbs is quite similar to Robinson’s.”

“Jahmyr Gibbs (WR – DET) Another young running back who has seen things clear out behind him is Jahmyr Gibbs, who saw David Montgomery move on, and only Isiah Pacheco was brought in.”

“Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 21.7 PPG last year on 17.8 xFP, despite the presence of David Montgomery and his 9.3 xFP. That’s a remarkably impressive result, given it wasn’t a particularly impressive year for the Lions or for Gibbs as a rusher. I view the downgrade from David Montgomery — a serviceable player who was also a cultural leader — to Isiah Pacheco as steep, and far wider than the drop off from Tyler Allgeier to Brian Robinson .”

“Andy’s pick at the 1.01 is fairly straightforward with Jahmyr Gibbs . Gibbs presents tremendous upside in an offense that fantasy managers have grown to trust with one of the best schedules in the league.”

“Fantasy Football Sleepers: Running Backs Running Backs Team ECR ADP Isiah Pacheco DET 48 49 Alvin Kamara NO 47 47 Keaton Mitchell LAC 49 56 Sean Tucker TB 58 61 Dylan Sampson CLE 50 52 Emmett Johnson KC 62 54 Emanuel Wilson SEA 57 73 Demond Claiborne MIN 69 70 Tank Bigsby PHI 54 57 Seth McGowan IND 89 96 Isiah Pacheco lands with the Lions as the change-of-pace back/handcuff for Jahmyr Gibbs.”

“4 | Diff: +4 Isiah Pacheco lands with the Lions as the change-of-pace back/handcuff for Jahmyr Gibbs .”

“The RB1 Debate The Bijan Robinson vs Jahmyr Gibbs debate has been discussed multiple times on recent shows, but the consensus is that both RBs are clearly above the rest of the field.”

“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.”

“In a standard league, getting a running back such as Jahmyr Gibbs, who will handle well over 200 carries and catch the ball a bunch, was a no-brainer after Bijan Robinson went off the board.”