Kenneth

Gainwell

Gainwell spelled lead back Saquon Barkley late in the game after the veteran alpha erupted for 302 combined yards, finding the end zone on a 13-yard scamper late in the third quarter. Gainwell remains unlikely to return consistent production playing behind fantasy’s top running back, but stands out as one of the clearest pure handcuffs in the league should something happen to Barkley down the stretch.

Gainwell didn’t get a ton of touches with Saquon Barkley once again dominating the backfield — and with good reason — but he made the most of those attempts. The tailback was the only other player to have a carry outside of Barkley and Jalen Hurts, so it’s obvious he’s the clear preferred No. 2 option to Will Shipley right now. That should continue to be the case in Week 12 against the Rams, but it’s hard to see enough volume for fantasy relevance.

It was Gainwell, not rookie RB Will Shipley, operating as the Eagles’ No. 2 back. It’s worth noting should Saquon Barkley miss any time in the second half of the regular season. Gainwell would likely split backfield duties with Shipley.

Gainwell saw little usage with Saquon Barkley still the workhorse back. He saw five carries for 19 yards, and his only target on the day was nearly intercepted. Gainwell has little fantasy relevancy as long as Barkley was healthy. The Eagles’ third running back, Will Shipley, rushed two times for -3 yards, though Shipley had a touchdown called back for a holding penalty.

Gainwell averaged a solid 4.3 YPC on the day and also caught one pass for 11 additional yards. The Eagles’ RB2 turned in his best outing of the season in this one after entering the day with just eight carries all season. Gainwell is the only running back seeing notable work behind Saquon Barkley, but he won’t have any fantasy upside as long as Barkley is healthy.

Gainwell has topped out at two touches in a game through three contests. Saquon Barkley is dominating the reps for Philadelphia and leaving next to nothing for Gainwell to work with. He is not worth holding onto in all redraft formats.

The two touches come after the veteran change of pace back saw just one touch in Week 1, clearly indicating a workhorse situation for offseason acquisition Saquon Barkley. Gainwell likely requires an injury to Barkley to return any fantasy value moving forward.

Saquon Barkley rushed 24 times and saw two targets. Gainwell played some on passing downs but was otherwise uninvolved. With Barkley looking like the focal point of the Eagles’ offense, Gainwell is nothing more than a trusted name for pass protection. He isn’t on the fantasy radar heading into Week 2.

Moore also listed presumed backup Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Will Shipley as players that could be deployed in various areas of the formation, adding “that will be a huge advantage for us.” Moore described the offense as requiring an outlet for the quarterback underneath, an area of the field that all three backs can help “create horizontal space, and every once in a while, get them vertical.” Moore’s previous offenses have harbored running back production through the air, something that could help offset the potential for decreased total touchdowns from the position considering the presence of quarterback Jalen Hurts and the famed “tush push” when close to the goal line. The fact that Moore also mentioned Gainwell and Shipley when discussing the utilization of running backs in the pass game places a theoretical cap on the weekly upside of his starter, returning a weekly range of outcomes that should be more condensed about Barkley’s median expectation.

Saquon Barkley managers need not panic. The Eagles didn’t sign Barkley to a three-year, $37.750 million contract to play him behind Gainwell. Instead, these early reps should serve as a reminder that, for now, Gainwell is the preferred option as Barkley’s backup, giving him some value as a late-round handcuff in fantasy. We’re barely through the first week of camp, and a lot can change over the next several weeks. Gainwell is the longest-tenured Eagles back and will presumably work ahead of rookie Will Shipley until Shipley gets acclimated to the offense.