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The first Fantasy Football-relevant thing we learned after the legal tampering period opened was that D'Andre Swift would be leaving the Philadelphia Eagles to join the Chicago Bears. It didn't take long for his replacement to be named. Saquon Barkley will be leaving the New York Giants to join their division rivals. 

Barkley received a three-year deal that makes it likely he has at least two seasons as the lead back for the Eagles. This is a major change of course for them, spending money on a running back, and we'll have to hope that means an enhanced opportunity for Barkley compared to what we've seen for the Eagles running backs the past few seasons. 

Last year the Eagles ranked 16th in running back target rate, which was up from dead last the year before. The bigger problem is that Jalen Hurts accounts for more than half of the team's rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons. Barkley will need the Eagles to either pass to their running backs more or hand him the ball at the one-yard line if he's going to have a chance at being an elite Fantasy contributor.

What the Eagles lack in pass-catching and touchdown opportunities they have tried to make up for in rushing efficiency. Their offensive line produces gaping holes, which Barkley will welcome after averaging fewer than four yards per carry in two of his past three seasons. Barkley should see a boost in efficiency even if he does see a drop in target rate. While the touchdown situation doesn't look great, it's probably not much worse than New York. My initial projection has him with 1,394 total yards, 55 catches, and 10 touchdowns. He finished last year at RB9, averaging 15.9 PPR FPPG. I project a small step back from that.

As an NFL running back, Barkley is still good, he's just not the guy he was his first two seasons in the league. That's exactly how you should view him in Fantasy Football as well. He's worth a late Round 2 or early Round 3 pick in full PPR leagues where you can start three wide receivers. Half PPR or two wide receiver leagues should push him into the top half of Round 2.

As a 27-year-old changing teams, Barkley is a complicated case in Dynasty. Any team that isn't a true contender should try to see him off this good news. Hopefully, there's an Eagles fan in your league. This signing is good news though, bumping him up from RB19 to RB16. At this stage of his career, his value is unlikely to increase moving forward.