Why Saquon Barkley should absolutely be a top-10 fantasy pick
Yahoo Fantasy's Josh Norris and Joel Smyth explain why Barkley could repeat his production for 2024 under new OC Sean Mannion.
Video Transcript
I'm, I'm much higher.
I have him in the top 10 overall, and I, I really feel like across the industry, I'm probably highest here, and, like, this is my flag plant player.
So we've already heard it, right?
Like, all summer long, you're hearing about the Eagles passing attack and how it's the most important part of Sean Mannion and what can he pluck out of, you know, Jalen Hurts.
To me, none of that matters unless, you know, the running game works, and we saw that a couple years ago, 'cause when the running game works, then the math changes on the back end.
And I really think as an individual talent, there wasn't a m- lot of difference that Saquon Barkley showed last year.
He was still explosive.
It was an injured and unhealthy offensive line.
We even heard Lane Johnson today.
He got on the mic.
How timely.
He said, quote, "We will see Saquon of two years ago."
he says they're gonna stretch defenses out sideline to sideline, and he loves what they're doing in the running game and the screen game.
I love that too, man.
Like, I, I think Saquon Barkley, just finished as the player that we all wanted in Facii football a couple seasons ago.
We drafted him as a top three or four running back last year, and now he's going behind names that haven't proven nearly enough on a team that we all believe in.
So, yeah, I'm happy to be well ahead of market on Saquon Barkley here, Joel.
Yeah, so much of the positive for Barkley for me is just the Eagles bounce-- Like, they have to bounce back on offense.
Have to.
And even if they are, like, top five, they'll be better.
I was shocked when I looked at the red zone drives.
There's a lot of stats where it's like, oh yeah, their offense was, like, average or below average.
Their red zone drives dropped from 68 to 44 last year.
Fifth place to 28th, where their red zone drives were next to, like, the Jets and Raiders.
Yes.
And we think of this Eagles offense, like, they have so much more talent than that.
So I think that combined with some more under center running when he was, like, a lot better than just them playing out of gun so much last season.
Like, there's a lot of different things that should just naturally bounce back for Barkley.
Yeah, and you're mentioning 2024 and 68 red zone drives, fifth most in the league.
That's not even factoring in the 70, 60, 50, 40, 30 yard touchdown runs that Saquon Barkley had.
Mm-hmm.
So, you know, he does both.
Back in 2024, he had red zone touches, and he also had long gains, and so much of that, again, is offensive line health and where he was hit, you know, behind line of scrimmage at about an average rate last year versus in 2024, he was one of the best, in terms of being given yardage, and then obviously we know, how it was kind of sticky how good he was after, being contacted beyond the line of scrimmage.
So yeah, maybe this one burns me, and it might, you know?
But, I'm so in on Saquon Barkley.
