Saquon Barkley is an Eagle, crossing enemy lines after six years with the Giants. Saquon’s efficiency has dipped over the past three seasons and he hasn’t been able to quiet the allegations that he can’t stay healthy, but Philadelphia has become the ideal landing spot for RBs hoping to reboot their careers. Today, we’ll look at the fantasy consequences of the Barkley signing.
SAQUON BARKLEY
Old ranking: 30th overall on Underdog
New ranking: 30th overall
- Despite middling raw efficiency numbers, Barkley still posted 0.39 Rush Yards Over Expectation per attempt in 2023 and 0.4 in 2022. The Giants were just such a disaster offensively last year that they destroyed the star RB’s hopes of posting high-end fantasy numbers. That shouldn’t be a problem with the Eagles, who still boast one of the NFC’s best quarterbacks, two elite WRs, and a strong offensive line despite Jason Kelce‘s retirement. Barkley is still a quality pass catcher despite three straight seasons under 5.0 yards per target, and he should have no problem overtaking Kenneth Gainwell as the main pass-catching RB in Philly. The Eagles’ RB target share jumped to an average 17.7% last year after they ranked dead last in that category in 2022. Barkley’s receiving volume probably won’t reach the heights it did early in his career, but going to the Eagles is hardly a death blow in that regard.
- D’Andre Swift had 10 carries inside the 5-yard line in 2023. Jalen Hurts had 16. Gainwell also had three. Barkley should assume goal-line RB duties for the Eagles right away, but it’s fair to question how valuable that role is when Hurts is going to take basically all of the carries from within the 2-yard line. Swift managed only five rushing TDs despite playing on the most unstoppable red-zone rushing offense in football, and a similar fate could await Barkley in 2024. This is a good landing spot from an overall efficiency perspective, but the lack of TDs is worth considering.
- At the end of the day, Barkley is a star RB who got paid good money to go to a good team with a history of running the ball well. The TDs are a mild concern and he needs to stay healthy, but this is clearly a solid spot for him and he’s still a fantasy RB1.
OTHER EAGLES RBS
- Boston Scott remains locked in as the RB3, though his role as the designated Giant killer is now marred by Barkley’s revenge game narrative. Gainwell spent 2023 as the primary back on third downs and in the 2-minute drill for the Eagles, but one would think Barkley takes that role now given his receiving ability. He will likely only play to keep Barkley fresh. Moreover, Gainwell’s contingent value is questionable since it’s unclear whether they would give him a full rushing workload if Barkley misses time.
GIANTS RBS
- Matt Breida is an unrestricted free agent, leaving Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray as the RB1/2 on the Giants’ depth chart right now. They will almost certainly add at least one significant RB; we’ll see who it is.
