De'Von Achane vs Saquon Barkley: Who Should You Start?
De'Von Achane and Saquon Barkley are both viable fantasy running backs heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. De'Von Achane averaged 18.1 PPG across 16 games with the Miami Dolphins, while Saquon Barkley posted 13.4 PPG in 16 appearances for the Philadelphia Eagles.
A 4.7-PPG gap gives De'Von Achane the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
De'Von Achane is the receiving back in this matchup, turning 67 targets into 488 yards, while Saquon Barkley profiles as a more traditional rusher with 1140 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. In PPR and half-PPR formats De'Von Achane carries the higher weekly floor. In standard leagues the gap tightens considerably.
One scheduling note: De'Von Achane is off Week 6 and Saquon Barkley Week 5. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in running back for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
