Chris Allen argued Bijan Robinson deserves equal consideration at 1.02 because Michael Penix’s arrival unlocked the receiving workload that can push Robinson into overall RB1 territory. Before the QB switch, Robinson already owned 60% of Atlanta’s carries and a 13.6% target share, ranking as an elite workload by Fantasy Life’s Utilization Report (UR Score). Over Robinson’s final three games with Penix his touches jumped from 20.8 to 24.7 per game, route rate spiked from 62.4% with Kirk Cousins to 76.6% with Penix, and his receiving aDOT leaped from –1.2 to 4.0 yards, signaling designed down-field concepts like the screen clip Allen highlighted. Despite Atlanta’s lower team expectations, Robinson nearly matched Barkley with only two fewer explosive plays and actually posted a higher success rate (55.6%). Reduced Tyler Allgeier usage plus a Penix-friendly scheme gives Robinson unmatched dual-threat upside, making him the centerpiece of a “Balanced” roster start from the 1.02.

Chris Allen said Saquon Barkley is the safest way to open a 2025 draft from the 1.02 because his ceiling-plus-floor profile is already proven inside the Eagles’ offense. Barkley generated 30 explosive runs during the 2024 regular season and, counting the playoffs, ripped off 13 carries of 34-plus yards, eight of which went for touchdowns. He finished first in expected points added and still ranked fifth in success rate, a metric Allen noted is more predictive of future production than raw EPA. Philadelphia’s line remains a top-10 group (8th in Adjusted Yards Before Contact per Rush, 9th in Run-Block Win Rate), but Barkley’s own speed was responsible for the 4th- and 5th-fastest ball-carrier times last year, evidence the line is not carrying him. With no new target competition, Barkley should at least match last year’s 10.3% target share while again handling bell-cow rushing volume. Allen concluded that the intact offensive infrastructure and Barkley’s dual-threat usage make him an ideal “Hero RB” foundation when drafting from the two-spot.