Should Fantasy Football Owners Trade Saquon Barkley For Ashton Jeanty?
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has struggled to live up to his billing as a top-10 pick among fantasy football leagues so far this season. While he’s managed four weeks with 17.0 or more fantasy points, he hasn’t managed to live up to his immensely high ADP during the Eagles’ 4-2 start to the year.
On the other hand, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has emerged with three consecutive weeks of top-15 running back production. The Las Vegas Raiders’ lead back has become one of fantasy football’s most coveted players as the team gears up for a Week 7 showdown versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
The two backs rank among the NFL’s top-25 leaders in yards from scrimmage, offering volume and production in both phases of the offense.
Barkley’s fantasy football owners could be contemplating a potential trade for Jeanty, but should those looking to move on from the Eagles back consider a player-for-player trade for the rookie sensation? A trade for Barkley could prove to be beneficial as the season rolls on, but here’s why fantasy owners should hold onto the reigning Offensive Player of the Year instead of trading for Jeanty.
Fantasy Football Owners Shouldn’t Trade Saquon Barkley For Ashton Jeanty
In Week 4, Jeanty managed a breakout performance versus the Chicago Bears, racking up 155 yards from scrimmage on 23 total touches, finding the end zone on the ground and twice through the air. While Barkley has yet to manage such an effort so far this season, he offers a consistent floor, similarly to Jeanty.
Barkley projects to bounce back from a lowly Week 6 performance versus the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7, which should reinstill optimism among his fantasy owners.
The Eagles back has sustained consistent production despite the struggles among Philadelphia’s offense, posting volume in the passing game to help boost his fantasy stock. Though Jeanty’s rise offers immense promise, his top-end potential isn’t greater than that of Barkley.
Though Philadelphia’s offense has struggled, Barkley has remained consistent behind a banged-up offensive line. He’s recorded double-digit carries in five of Philadelphia’s six games this season, a trend which is highly likely to continue throughout the remainder of the season.
The cost of Barkley feels quite steep for a back just finding his stride this season. Though inconsistent, the Eagles’ offense projects to finish the year much stronger than that of Las Vegas’ unit.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.