NFL2026-10-24Saquon Barkley Is in Line to Return Against the Cowboys, but DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks Are Tracking to Miss Monday Night
By Verdexed NFL Desk
Saquon Barkley is on track to return for the Eagles on Monday night. Barkley practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday, his first sessions since he hurt his hamstring in Week 4, and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that he is in line to play against the Cowboys. Philadelphia will practice again Saturday and release its final game designations that afternoon.
The good news comes with a caveat. Receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) and tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) did not practice Thursday or Friday. Philadelphia Inquirer reporting has Smith and Wicks tracking to miss the game, with some optimism that Goedert can play. For a team already without Jalen Hurts for the season, Barkley's return may be the only reinforcement the offense gets this week.
Why Barkley matters more now than ever
The Eagles have lost both games Barkley missed, to Jacksonville and then 25-14 to Carolina, and they enter Monday on a four-game losing streak. The Carolina loss showed what the offense looks like without him: Tanner McKee threw 45 times, the run game disappeared, and the Panthers were able to sit back and wait for mistakes.
Barkley changes that equation. Even at less than full strength, he forces a defense to respect the run, which opens up play-action for McKee and keeps him out of obvious passing downs. With Hurts out for the year, the Eagles need to win games on the ground, and Barkley is the only player on the roster who can carry that load.
The game itself is an NFC East matchup at Lincoln Financial Field, kicking off at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC. The Dallas injury report is light, with tackle Drew Shelton (hamstring) among the few names on it.
The injury picture for Monday
The table below summarizes where the key Philadelphia skill players stood after Friday's practice. Final designations come Saturday.
| Player | Injury | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saquon Barkley | Hamstring | Limited | Limited |
| DeVonta Smith | Hamstring | Did not practice | Did not practice |
| Dontayvion Wicks | Ankle | Did not practice | Did not practice |
| Dallas Goedert | Knee | Did not practice | Did not practice |
On defense, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (ankle) was downgraded to a non-participant Friday, and Nolan Smith is in the concussion protocol. That is a lot of pass-rush talent in question against a Dallas offense that will want to throw.
Fantasy fallout: how to handle Barkley
If Barkley is active, he goes back into fantasy lineups as an RB1, with one important adjustment. Hamstring injuries are notorious for lingering and for re-aggravation, and the Eagles may manage his snaps in his first game back. Expect him to handle the early-down and goal-line work, with the backups taking some of the passing-down snaps.
That still makes him a start. The volume the Eagles need to give him, against a Dallas defense that has struggled this season, outweighs the risk of a reduced snap share. His floor is lower than usual, but his touchdown equity in an offense that will lean on the run is high.
The backs who filled in during his two-game absence take the biggest hit. They kept the position afloat without producing much, and once Barkley is active they return to a change-of-pace role that is not worth a roster spot in most leagues. Managers who picked one of them up as a bye-week fill-in can safely move on after this week, unless Barkley suffers a setback.
There is one more complication: the game is on Monday night. Managers who start Barkley will not know whether he is active until after the Sunday slate is over. Make sure your lineup has a Monday or late-Sunday contingency, or carry Barkley's handcuff if the bench allows it.
The receiver problem for Tanner McKee
If Smith and Wicks both sit, McKee's target tree shrinks to a thin group of depth receivers and whatever Goedert can give him. That pushes even more of the offense toward Barkley and the short passing game.
For fantasy, that means McKee is a low-end QB2 at best, even in a matchup that looks friendly on paper. The volume he showed in Carolina came from playing from behind, not from efficiency. If Goedert plays, he becomes a startable tight end, since he would be the most experienced pass catcher on the field and should see a heavy share of the short targets. If he sits, the Eagles' passing game is close to unusable for fantasy.
On the Dallas side, the Cowboys' passing attack should benefit from the uncertainty around the Philadelphia pass rush, especially if Greenard cannot go.
Trade deadline context
Barkley's return also matters for a bigger reason. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10, and Barkley's name has come up in trade speculation as the Eagles slide. Nothing has been reported beyond that speculation, and Philadelphia has given no indication that it plans to sell. But a healthy, productive Barkley over the next two games would raise his value either way, whether the Eagles keep him for a playoff push or decide to move him.
What to do in your league
Start Barkley as an RB1 if he is active, and make sure you have a Monday-night fallback. Avoid McKee in one-quarterback leagues. Wait for Saturday's report before deciding on Goedert, and plan on Smith and Wicks being out. For the model's view of the game once the injuries settle, check the NFL predictions page and the Week 7 picks.