James Cook III or Saquon Barkley?
James Cook III or Saquon Barkley? Both are RBs. Here is what each man's 2025 season was actually built on, updated Aug 17, 2026.
James Cook III leads on rushing attempts, and also on rushing yards over expected, rushing yards over expected per attempt and receiving expected points added — one side of that is opportunity, the other is efficiency, and they have not historically travelled together.
Saquon Barkley leads on share of his team's offensive snaps — the inputs that have historically carried from one season to the next.
Figures are 2025 verified play-by-play (nflverse); scored Half-PPR. Repeatability is measured from year-over-year persistence across 2016 to 2025, not projected. Muffed publishes no projections, draft grades or start/sit advice.
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Saquon Barkley
James Cook III vs Saquon Barkley, 2025
| Metric | James Cook III | Saquon Barkley |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 finish | 6 | 14 |
| Half-PPR/G | 16.8 | 13.4 |
| Games | 17 | 16 |
| Snap share | 58.1% | 74.4% |
| Availability | 98.5% | 88.2% |
| RYOE | 358.2 | 75.9 |
| RYOE/att | 1.17 | 0.28 |
| Carries | 309 | 280 |
| Rec EPA | 8.7 | -5.0 |
What repeats
James Cook III leads on rushing attempts, and also on rushing yards over expected, rushing yards over expected per attempt and receiving expected points added — one side of that is opportunity, the other is efficiency, and they have not historically travelled together. Saquon Barkley leads on share of his team's offensive snaps — the inputs that have historically carried from one season to the next. Of the two, Saquon Barkley's season rests on the steadier ground. That is a statement about what each man's production was built on, not a running order — and it is a description of 2025, not a forecast of 2026.
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Muffed, “James Cook III vs Saquon Barkley, 2025 verified comparison,” muffed.ai/compare/james-cook-vs-saquon-barkley. Through the 2025 season. Data via nflverse · NFL Next Gen Stats via nflverse; FTN Data via nflverse.
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