Gainwell will likely be the No. 3 running back in Philadelphia this season, and he has minimal Fantasy value in that role. He's not worth drafting in the majority of leagues. The Eagles lost Miles Sanders this offseason, but Philadelphia added D'Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny. While both are injury prone, it might take injuries to both at the same time for Gainwell to get an increased workload, and even then, Gainwell would share touches with Boston Scott. If Swift and Penny stay healthy, it could be difficult for Gainwell to get consistent touches. He didn't have more than nine total touches in any game in the regular season for the Eagles in 2022, and he doesn't profile as a workhorse on a consistent basis. Most likely, Gainwell is someone to add off waivers if Swift or Penny get injured during the year.
Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Outplayed by Swift in return
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Gainwell (ribs) rushed 14 times for 43 yards and caught one of two targets for five yards in Monday's 25-11 win over the Buccaneers.
Gainwell's first carry in his return from a one-game absence came on fourth-and-1, and he got stuffed for minus-1 yard to end Philadelphia's opening drive in the red zone. He finished with 14 carries to D'Andre Swift's 16, but Swift was vastly more effective, churning out 130 rushing yards on the heels of last week's 175-yard performance on the ground. The gap in attempts was much wider while the game was still in doubt, as eight of Gainwell's carries came on the final drive. Swift's the leader in Philadelphia's backfield heading into a Week 4 home game against the Commanders, but Gainwell's the clear No. 2 option over Rashaad Penny, who didn't register a touch Monday, and Boston Scott (concussion), who was inactive.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Full practice participant
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Gainwell (ribs) was a full practice participant Friday ahead of Monday's game in Tampa Bay.
Gainwell handled 62 percent snap share and 18 touches in the season opener but now finds himself rejoining a backfield that had D'Andre Swift run for 175 yards in a Week 2 win over Minnesota. Given Swift's standout performance and Gainwell's pre-Week 1 lack of experience in a No. 1 role, it'll be surprising if Gainwell is the lead guy Monday night. If nothing else, Gainwell remains a strong candidate for playing time in obvious passing situations.
Gainwell (ribs) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.
Gainwell got the Week 1 start out of the Eagles backfield and managed 74 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches. He emerged from that contest with a rib injury that ended up sidelining him for last Thursday's win against the Vikings. Fellow running back D'Andre Swift took advantage of Gainwell's absence, taking 28 carries for 175 yards and one touchdown while adding three catches (on three targets) for six yards. Swift likely will remain Philadelphia's No. 1 RB for the foreseeable future, even when Gainwell is cleared for game action. Having said that, Boston Scott didn't practice Thursday because he's in the concussion protocol, which could allow Gainwell to be the primary backup behind Swift on Monday in Tampa Bay, assuming Gainwell is active.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Back on practice field
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Gainwell (rib) was spotted on the field for the portion of Thursday's practice that was open to the media, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
After sitting out the Eagles' Week 2 win over the Vikings on Sept. 14 due to a rib injury, Gainwell appears to have at least made some progress in his recovery. While the extent of his practice activity won't be known until the Eagles release their first official Week 3 injury report later Thursday, the fact that Gainwell is on the field in any capacity bodes well for his chances of playing Monday against the Buccaneers. Gainwell served as the Eagles' lead back in the team's season-opening win over the Patriots, but it's unclear how big of a role he might handle if he's fully cleared for Monday's contest. While Gainwell was sidelined Week 2, D'Andre Swift erupted for 28 carries for 175 yards and a touchdown to go with three catches for six yards. On the heels of the big performance, Swift may have made a case to poach work from Gainwell on both early downs and passing downs.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Won't play in Week 2
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Gainwell (ribs) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Vikings.
Gainwell was unable to practice at all during Week 2 prep due to a rib injury, and his absence Thursday will leave the Eagles backfield in the hands of D'Andre Swift, Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny. Philadelphia doesn't play again until Sept. 25 at Tampa Bay, so he'll have almost two weeks to rest and recover before the team next needs to make a decision on his availability.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Appears likely to sit Week 2
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Gainwell (ribs) appears to be trending toward sitting out Thursday's game against the Vikings, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The Eagles will provide an official gameday designation for Gainwell following Wednesday's practice, but his chances of playing Thursday don't appear promising after he was listed as a non-participant on practice reports Monday and Tuesday. Gainwell will likely need to log at least limited activity Wednesday to have hope of playing Week 2. He served as the lead option for Philadelphia's backfield Week 1, so an absence from Gainwell would spell increased opportunities for D'Andre Swift and Boston Scott, who handled depth roles in the win over New England. Rashaad Penny, who was inactive Week 1, would also likely dress Thursday if Gainwell sits and could factor into the Eagles' rushing attack.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Another DNP on Tuesday
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Gainwell (ribs) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's practice estimate.
For a second consecutive day, Gainwell was held out of the Eagles' walkthrough, giving him just one more chance to log some activity ahead of Thursday's game against the Vikings. It's unclear if his current rib injury is threatening his availability for that contest, but Philadelphia at least boasts backfield depth in the event he is limited or out. In the team's Week 1 win at New England, Gainwell turned a 62 percent snap share into 18 touches for 74 yards from scrimmage, while D'Andre Swift played 28 percent of snaps en route to two touches, Boston Scott totaled two touches on 13 percent of snaps, and Rashaad Penny was a healthy scratch.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Keep an eye on Gainwell's rib injury, and hopefully he'll be fine for Thursday's game against the Vikings. In Week 1 at New England, Gainwell was the lead running back for the Eagles, playing 62 percent of the snaps, ahead of D'Andre Swift (29 percent) and Boston Scott (12 percent), with Rashaad Penny inactive. Gainwell had 14 carries for 54 yards and four catches for 20 yards on four targets. Nick Sirianni wants Swift to be more involved, and we'll see what happens moving forward. But for now you have to proceed with Gainwell as the lead running back in Philadelphia, which makes him a must-add in all leagues for 15-20 percent of your remaining FAB.
Gainwell rushed the ball 14 times for 54 yards in Sunday's 25-20 win over the Patriots. He added four receptions on four targets for 20 yards.
Gainwell shifted up the depth chart after Rashaad Penny was a healthy scratch. However, he not only led the way in the Philadelphia backfield, he dominated touches as Boston Scott and D'Andre Swift each saw only one carry. While his performance was unspectacular, Gainwell did nothing to lose the job by playing without any significant mistakes in rainy conditions. As a result, he seemingly has a good chance to lead the way again in a Week 2 matchup against the Vikings.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Moves up depth chart
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With Rashaad Penny expected to be a healthy scratch for Sunday's matchup against New England, Gainwell and Boston Scott will operate as the primary backups to D'Andre Swift, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.
The Eagles were always expected to have a backfield committee after moving on from Miles Sanders while adding Swift and Penny this offseason. That likely won't change in Week 1, although Penny's imminent inactive status is somewhat surprising. While Swift will presumably start and operate as a lead back, Gainwell and Scott should be mixed in often given their familiarity with Philadelphia's system. Gainwell, a 2021 fifth-round pick, has showcased a solid dual-threat skill set during his first two years in the league, but his role has always been limited.
We have received extremely mixed signals about the Eagles running backs. I would not be surprised at all if Gainwell sees a bigger role than we're projecting and even leads the Eagles backfield in Fantasy points in Week 1. Still, it's a terrible matchup, so he should only be started in deep leagues.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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You know the story by now that the Eagles backfield is wide open with Gainwell, D'Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny, and Gainwell could be the surprise starter in Week 1. Now, that doesn't mean that Gainwell will be the No. 1 Philadelphia running back all season (I like Swift the best), but Gainwell should be added in all leagues for at least 5 percent of your remaining FAB. If you can get the starting running back on a great offense for almost nothing in the draft or off the waiver wire then it's a no-brainer to add him to your roster.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: In mix for touches
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The Eagles are leaning toward a committee approach in a backfield that currently includes Gainwell, D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon, Zach Berman of the The Athletic suggests.
With Miles Sanders, who led the Eagles with 259 carries in 2022, now with the Panthers, it looks like the team is prepared to roll with a combination of backs on a weekly basis. The Eagles' posted depth chart lists the team's RBs together as a group, and unless a starter is identified ahead of Week 1, a game-by-game approach leaning on the hot hand could be in play out of the gate. While Swift profiles a big-play threat who figures to get his share of touches in the passing game and Penny should also contribute on early downs, Gainwell has been been getting steady work this summer and that could continue into the season. If so, the 2021 fifth-rounder has a chance to earn enough work to emerge as a fantasy sleeper relative to his ADP.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Looking good for part-time role
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Gainwell seems to have a spot on the Eagles roster, though he's one of five backs competing for roles this summer, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Gainwell, D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon all have taken snaps with the first-string offense and also with the backups. Zangaro expects the first three to make the regular-season roster, while Scott and Sermon seem to be battling for the fourth and final spot. Gainwell isn't the biggest or fastest of the bunch, nor the most skilled receiver, but he has a good command of head coach Nick Sirianni's offense and hopes to make an impression this summer with improved pass blocking. As much as Swift and Penny remain more likely to put up start-worthy fantasy stats, it won't come as any surprise if Gainwell also has a role in the Week 1 game plan, which would make it that much harder for his backfield mates to put up big numbers.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Efficient sophomore season
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Gainwell had 53 carries for 240 yards and four touchdowns across 17 regular-season games in 2022. He also secured 23 of 29 catches for 169 yards.
Gainwell improved to 4.5 YPC in Year 2 but saw both his carries and receptions dip. However, with Miles Sanders an impending free agent, there is reason for cautious optimism about Gainwell's opportunities increasing in the 2023 season. The 23-year-old logged a particularly impressive playoff run, with over 100 rushing yards and a score in the Eagles' divisional-round win over the Giants, and he tied Sanders' seven carries in the team's Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. His future fantasy upside will depend heavily on how Philadelphia's running back room materializes this offseason.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Breaks out in divisional-round win
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Gainwell rushed 12 times for 112 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for nine yards in the Eagles' 38-7 divisional-round win over the Giants on Saturday night.
Gainwell ended up logging just five rush attempts fewer than Miles Sanders, with game script heavily tilting toward the ground attack as the night unfolded. Gainwell, a second-year back, is still most likely to operate in a change-of-pace, low-volume role in an NFC Championship Game battle versus either the Cowboys or 49ers a week from Sunday, but Saturday night's performance, which was highlighted by a 35-yard scoring scamper with 1:51 remaining, served as a reminder of his considerable upside.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Five touches in Week 15 win
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Gainwell rushed three times for five yards and caught two passes for nine yards in Sunday's win over the Bears.
Gainwell didn't have a particularly notable game, though it was at least a step up from his one-touch, zero-yard performance the previous week. More significantly, he saw the field for 29 offensive snaps compared to just four for No. 3 running back Boston Scott. Should the Eagles clinch the top seed in the NFC next week, they may elect to rest their starters, with Gainwell seemingly in line to benefit.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Barely used in blowout win
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Gainwell did not receive a single carry in Sunday's 48-22 win over the Giants and gained zero yards on his lone reception.
Backups often can see a respectable workload in lopsided games like this one, but that wasn't the case for Gainwell. He only saw the field for 12 offensive snaps, the same number as fellow depth running back Boston Scott. Scott wound up with seven touches to Gainwell's one, though Gainwell still has a narrow 55-48 edge on the season overall.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Gains zero yards
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Gainwell carried the ball once for zero yards and wasn't targeted with any passes in Sunday's win against Indianapolis.
Gainwell saw the field for just 11 offenses snaps, fewer even than fellow depth running back Boston Scott (13 snaps). Scott also received five touches compared to just one for Gainwell. Gainwell has now received just one carry in three of the last four weeks and hasn't carried the ball more than five times in any game this season.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Touches ball twice
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Gainwell finished with one carry for seven yards and one catch for five yards in Monday's loss to the Commanders.
After tying his season high with seven touches and a score in Week 9, Gainwell tied his season low with just two touches in Week 10. He continues to have minimal fantasy relevance and doesn't even produce all that many points when he happens to find the end zone, as his workload is simply too small.
