Saquon Barkley: 2025 Fantasy Football Bust Or Repeatable Production?
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley posted one of the greatest single-season efforts by a running back in NFL history in 2024. The third-time Pro Bowler became the ninth back in league history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a single season prior to a historic postseason run.
In the playoffs, Barkley posted the third-most rushing yards in a single playoff run with 499 and five touchdowns, and helped Philadelphia secure its second Super Bowl.
From a fantasy perspective, Barkley finished the season eighth in fantasy points among PPR leagues. But the question remains, will the reigning Offensive Player of the Year manage to replicate his fantasy production in 2025?
Why Saquon Barkley Can Repeat in 2025
Barkley’s situation in Philadelphia is drastically different than his situation with the New York Giants. After each of his 1,300 yard performances with Big Blue in 2018 and 2022, he noticed a dip in production in each of the following seasons in 2019 and 2023.
The reason for this dip, a struggling offensive line. Barkley carried New York’s offense behind less-than serviceable offensive line units, causing him to miss time after his two most successful campaigns.
In Philadelphia, Barkley’s operating behind one of the top offensive lines in the NFL, leaving reason to believe he could replicate his 2024 performance to some degree.
Why Saquon Barkley Will Bust in 2025
There’s a huge argument against Barkley’s ability to replicate his 2024 production: the production itself. No back in league history has eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards in a single season twice, and Barkley’s unlikely to be the first.
It’s hard to label Barkley a bust, especially in Philly’s offense, but still serves as an argument against his ability to repeat his performance in 2025.
The Final Verdict
While Barkley may not live up to his 2024 production, we’re not going to label him a ‘bust’. He still projects to be one of the best running backs in fantasy this season. Barkley’s operating behind a fantastic offensive line in arguably the most talented offense in the league.
There also aren’t any backs to contest Barkley for touches out of the backfield. He was featured in 74% of the offense’s snaps in 2024 and suit up for a similar number of snaps this season.
He may not eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in 2025, but Barkley shows no signs of slowing down entering his eighth season in the NFL.
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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.