Eagles’ Saquon Barkley predicted to have bounce-back fantasy football campaign

The NFL season is less than a week away from kicking off, beginning a new quest for Super Bowl LXI. There will also be a number of players under the microscope as fantasy football managers look to win their leagues.

One of those players some league managers are banking on to bounce back in a major way is Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. After a historic run in 2024, Barkley took a step back in 2025. In the grand scheme of things, the Eagles offense did as well.

Now, with Barkley’s average draft position dropping in this year’s fantasy outlook, ESPN’s Field Yates believes he could be a late first-round steal. The big reason is that Barkley is poised to have a better season than he did in 2025, though perhaps not as dominant as his 2024 campaign.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs up the side for about six yards while avoiding Bills players during first half action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 28, 2025. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

“He wasn’t good last year. And I don’t think he’s going to be as good as two years ago … If he can find himself somewhere in the middle, it’s going to payoff.” Yates said of Barkley’s fantasy projections.

In 2024, Barkley ranked first among running backs in fantasy PPR leagues, averaging 22.2 fantasy points per game. His season earned him NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and helped push the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. That production also helped fantasy managers win some titles of their own.

However, Barkley dropped to 15th in fantasy PPR leagues in 2025, averaging just 14.5 fantasy points per game. While that still qualifies as solid production by fantasy football standards, it wasn’t the payoff some managers were expecting.

Barkley currently ranks ninth among running backs in projected fantasy PPR points per game. He is projected to increase his production to 15.3 points per game, which would still leave him considerably behind his 2024 level.

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Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks (43) tackles Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) during the second quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

However, Yates also highlighted that Barkley is currently being drafted as a late first-round fantasy pick. If Barkley can find a happier medium and approach 18 points per game, he could prove to be a masterful steal.

The Eagles are hoping Barkley can also return closer to his 2024 form. After eclipsing 2,000 rushing yards that season, he recorded fewer than 1,200 yards in 2025. Additionally, his rushing touchdowns decreased from 13 to seven.

Will Barkley have a bounce-back 2026 season and lead your fantasy team on a deep playoff push?