News & Analysis · News · Covers Oct 28, 2026
Dameon Pierce goes on injured reserve: Saquon Barkley's Week 8 outlook
The Eagles placed Dameon Pierce on injured reserve on Oct 28. In Sleeper's Week 8 projection, made after the move, Saquon Barkley projects right at the illustrative starter line: a close call in PPR.
By Swindlr · · Sources & methodology
Correction, Oct 29, 2026: The first version didn't say that Saquon Barkley, the back it leads with, is listed questionable for Week 8 in Sleeper's injury data. It does now, with what that means for the split.
Projections and statuses below are as of Oct 29, 2026 and change until kickoff. Current outlook: Saquon Barkley · Jaydon Blue
The short answer
Confirmed: the Eagles placed Dameon Pierce on injured reserve on Oct 28, according to ESPN's NFL transactions list, and Sleeper's Week 8 projection has him out. He'd had 12.3 carries and 3.7 targets a game in 3 games this season, 29% of the Eagles' carries and targets in those games.
Sleeper's Week 8 projection (as of Oct 29, 12:28 p.m. ET) has Saquon Barkley at RB21 in PPR (10.9 points), RB20 in half PPR (10.3) and RB20 in standard (9.6). Against the illustrative 12-team starter line (RB24), that's a toss-up at the line (53%) in PPR, a toss-up at the line (55%) in half PPR and a toss-up at the line (57%) in standard. He's listed questionable for week 8 in Sleeper's injury data, and the projection assumes he plays: check his status before kickoff.
Not known yet: how the work splits without Dameon Pierce. No game has been played since the move; the first one will show it, and these projections are Sleeper's estimate until then.
Opens Who should I start? with him in, on current projections: add the players you're choosing between and set your scoring.
What's confirmed
The Eagles placed Dameon Pierce on injured reserve on Oct 28, according to ESPN's NFL transactions list. Sleeper's Week 8 projection has him out. He'd had 12.3 carries and 3.7 targets a game in 3 games this season, 29% of the Eagles' carries and targets in those games.
Philadelphia's backfield in Week 8's projections
| Player | This season | PPR | Half PPR | Standard | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saquon Barkley | 8.6 carries and 1.8 targets a game in 5 games this season | 10.9 · RB21 | 10.3 · RB20 | 9.6 · RB20 | listed questionable for week 8 |
| Jaydon Blue | no games this season | 2.5 · RB62 | 2.2 · RB62 | 1.9 · RB62 | no designation |
| Elijah Mitchell | 3.0 carries and 4.0 targets a game in 1 game this season | 2.1 · RB63 | 1.8 · RB63 | 1.6 · RB63 | no designation |
Projections are Sleeper's, made after the move; no game has been played since. Now: Sleeper's injury data, Oct 29. The starter line is illustrative, the top 24 backs, 30 receivers and 12 tight ends. See current projections for Saquon Barkley and Jaydon Blue.
What isn't known yet
How long Dameon Pierce is out: injured reserve sets a minimum stay, not a return date. How the work splits: the projections above are an estimate until the Eagles play; Jaydon Blue and Elijah Mitchell are in the same role and could take some of it. Swindlr follows up once the first game since is in.
What could change this
- No game has been played since the move: the projections are Sleeper's estimate of the new split, not a result.
- Saquon Barkley is listed questionable for week 8; if he's limited or out, more of the work goes to Jaydon Blue and Elijah Mitchell.
- When Dameon Pierce comes back, the work shifts again.
Next step: Compare Saquon Barkley with your options →
Sources & methodology
Automatically generated analysis using the sources and data listed below. Not individually reviewed by a human.
- Philadelphia Eagles transactions: Placed RB Dameon Pierce on injured reserve. · ESPN NFL transactions, Oct 28, 2026 · retrieved Oct 29, 2026, 12:28 p.m. ET
Covers Oct 28, 2026. Data as of Oct 29, 2026, 12:28 p.m. ET.
How this was put together
The move is as ESPN's NFL transactions list reports it. This season's work comes from each week's box score in Swindlr's data (nflverse), in the games each player played. Projections are Sleeper's week 8 lines as of Oct 29, 12:28 p.m. ET, made after the move, scored by Swindlr in PPR, half PPR and standard and ranked among players expected to play. How close a call is comes from how often a projection gap that size went the higher projection's way in 2025, on a curve fitted separately for each scoring. Written before any game since the move; nothing here is a result.
The numbers are worked out before any sentence is written, and the text states only those numbers and the sources' facts. No one was interviewed or quoted.
- Updated Oct 29, 2026: Adds Saquon Barkley's injury designation (questionable for Week 8) and each back's status.