JSU lumped Saquon Barkley into the same elite tier as Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, insisting the new Eagles bell-cow is one of only a handful of players with a true 50-point ceiling. Barkley can "get 30 consistently" and still spike for 42-plus, a weekly advantage that can bury an opponent at the running-back slot by 20 fantasy points. That singular separation is why JSU is comfortable spending a top-three pick on Barkley in Best Ball drafts despite the wide-receiver-heavy first round.

Kyle Long warned fantasy managers not to over-project Saquon Barkley’s touchdown totals in Philadelphia because the Eagles default to the "tush push" QB sneak whenever they reach the 1-yard line. Barkley posted 13 rushing scores last season—just three fewer than Derrick Henry’s 16—despite nearly matching Henry in rushing yards (only a two-yard difference). Long argued Barkley "should have 50 touchdowns a year" based on talent and workload, but the cheat-code sneak with Jalen Hurts siphons most low-red-zone carries. Unless the league bans the play at upcoming owners meetings, Barkley’s goal-line TD ceiling remains capped, lowering his value in anytime-TD props and limiting his upside as an early-round season-long pick.

Jason Moore labeled Saquon Barkley a textbook dynasty sell despite his shiny RB5 startup ADP. Barkley is 28.2 years old, the exact age where Moore’s in-house study found running backs suffer a 30 percent per-game drop. Barkley logged 378 touches last season—including a playoff run to the Super Bowl—and Moore pointed out that since 2020 every back who eclipsed 330 touches saw at least 45 fewer the next year, with only two playing a full 17. Barkley’s value still commands a "young stud and a 1st" today, but Moore warned that haul disappears once the usage inevitably dips or injuries mount. He urged managers to get out a year early—while Barkley is still attached to Philly’s top-five offense—rather than ride him into a value black hole like Derrick Henry owners experienced.

Andy Holloway urged fantasy managers to temper expectations for Saquon Barkley after last year’s monster campaign. Barkley handled 482 total touches—378 in the regular season and another 104 in the playoffs, the fifth-most postseason touches ever. Holloway dug up a telling trend: since 2020, 10 running backs have logged 330-plus touches and every single one saw at least 45 fewer touches the next year, with only two managing a full 17-game slate. Barkley’s outlier explosiveness is equally fragile—he ripped off seven runs of 40 yards and four of 60 yards, more 40-yarders than Todd Gurley collected in his entire career and as many 60-yarders as Christian McCaffrey has ever posted. Add in the fact that Barkley turns 29, and no back that old has finished inside the top-5 over the past decade, and Holloway believes 2024 was the ‘magical season,’ not the norm. He still ranks Barkley as a top-5 redraft pick but calls him a dynasty ‘cash-out’ because managers can likely get a massive haul from rivals assuming an automatic repeat.

Pat Kerrane warned dynasty managers that Saquon Barkley is sitting at what may prove to be his absolute value apex. Barkley saw just 43 targets in 2024—his lowest mark outside of the two-game 2020 season—and turned them into a modest 33-278-2 receiving line. Kerrane contrasted that with Barkley’s 121-target rookie year that made him a 1.01 startup pick, arguing the current Eagles offense is simply not inclined to pepper its back with dump-offs. Last season’s 13 rushing TDs were driven by breakaway runs and the tush-push package; if that push gets outlawed or Barkley loses a half-step, Kerrane fears you are left holding a declining two-down back with minimal PPR insulation. He compared Barkley to Derrick Henry–style bets that can unravel quickly, while pointing out Christian McCaffrey will still command receptions even after any athletic downturn. Because Barkley “will never be valued higher than today,” Kerrane advised shopping him now for younger, insulated assets before the production cliff arrives.

Davis Mattek ranked Saquon Barkley a full round higher than his co-hosts in 2025 startup drafts, calling Philadelphia “the most nutted spot imaginable” for Barkley’s skill set. Mattek expects the Eagles’ elite offensive line, run-first identity, and top-10 defense to keep them in positive game scripts, unlocking the long runs and heavy inside-the-five usage that drive Barkley’s fantasy ceiling. He noted that Barkley is still only 28 (turns 29 in February) and believes recent production from Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey shows that age-28 backs can still deliver RB1 seasons. With the NFL rediscovering the value of bell-cows and James Conner entering his age-30 season, Mattek sees Barkley as a high-floor, difference-making points add over the next two years and is actively trading future upside wideouts for him in contenders’ builds.

Jason Moore locked Saquon Barkley in as his preseason RB1, calling the move from New York to Philadelphia “a Cinderella dream.” Barkley’s 345 carries, 13 rushing TDs and league‑leading 66 % of rushing yards before contact highlighted how dominant the Eagles’ elite offensive line was for him last year. Moore conceded the only blemish is a shallow passing‑game role (just 33 catches), which would hurt if TD variance swings the wrong way. However, he argued the looming NFL vote to ban the ‘tush‑push’ could add 4‑6 goal‑line carries that previously went to Jalen Hurts, giving Barkley a realistic path back to 15‑plus touchdowns. With a high‑win offense, top‑five yards‑before‑contact rate and possible scoring bump, Moore views Barkley as the safest first‑round pick in season‑long drafts and an early cornerstone in Best‑Ball builds.