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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 and receiving expected points added — one side of that is opportunity, the other is efficiency, and they have not historically travelled together.

Saquon Barkley's edge sits in rushing yards over expected per attempt — efficiency rather than opportunity, and the file measures that as the less repeatable half.

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.

Who led the NFL in rushing yards over expected in 2026?

James Cook III

RB · Buffalo Bills

Saquon Barkley

RB · Philadelphia Eagles

James Cook III vs Saquon Barkley, 2025

Verified 2025 figures for James Cook III and Saquon Barkley, with each figure's rank in its source population
MetricJames Cook IIISaquon Barkley
Half-PPR/G16.16.5
RYOE64.92nd of 4537.77th of 45
RYOE/att1.146th of 451.145th of 45
Carries5834
Rec EPA-1.931st of 44-2.436th of 44

A dash means the panel holds no qualifying figure for that player — usually too few games or attempts to clear the metric's floor, not a zero. Ranks are the source's own, against the population shown. Not shown, because neither player qualified: 2025 finish, Games, Snap share, Availability.

What repeats

James Cook III: MIXEDSaquon Barkley: VOLATILE

James Cook III leads on rushing attempts, and also on rushing yards over expected and receiving expected points added — one side of that is opportunity, the other is efficiency, and they have not historically travelled together. Saquon Barkley's edge sits in rushing yards over expected per attempt — efficiency rather than opportunity, and the file measures that as the less repeatable half. Of the two, James Cook III'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.

“Repeats” is measured year-over-year persistence across 2016 to 2025 — opportunity carries between seasons, scoring rate largely does not. This describes what a 2025 season was built on. It is not a forecast, and Muffed publishes no projections, draft grades or start/sit advice. How we measure it.

Settle it — hear both stories

The same verified data, told as the story of each man's season.

James Cook III's episode →Saquon Barkley's episode →

Related

Buffalo Bills backfield depthPhiladelphia Eagles backfield depthWhat is Half-PPR?What is RYOE?What is EPA?All comparisons

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Cite this

Muffed, “James Cook III vs Saquon Barkley, 2025 verified comparison,” muffed.ai/compare/james-cook-vs-saquon-barkley. Through the 2026 season. Data via nflverse; NFL Next Gen Stats via nflverse.

Free to quote and link with credit. The underlying figures are recomputed from public play-by-play — see how we verify every number.

Source: Data via nflverse; NFL Next Gen Stats via nflverse. Updated Aug 17, 2026. How we verify our data.

Scored Half-PPR. Repeatability is measured year-over-year persistence across 2016 to 2025 (nflverse), not a projection.

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