Kenneth Gainwell News

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.

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. The speedy 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.

Gainwell didn't make a big impact on the regular-season finale, though his 35 yards represented his second-highest mark of the season. With starting running back Miles Sanders staying healthy all season and finishing eighth in the league with 259 carries, there simply wasn't much for Gainwell to do. The second-year back's 4.5 yards per carry was a small step forward from his 4.3-yard average as a rookie, but he took steps back in carries (53), yards, receptions (23), receiving yards (169) and total touchdowns (4).

Gainwell saw the field for just 15 offensive snaps, fewer than not just Miles Sanders but also Boston Scott. Since the Eagles will need to play their starters in Week 18, as they've yet to clinch the division title, Gainwell should remain off the fantasy radar.

While starting running back Miles Sanders handled the bulk of the carries out of the backfield, Gainwell was more involved in the passing game. The 23-year-old played 30 offensive snaps, while Sanders was on the field for 38 snaps. This was Gainwell's largest snap total of the season, though it remains to be seen if Philadelphia would rely on more of a split in playing time between the Eagles' top two backs. Nonetheless, Gainwell would be very difficult to trust for fantasy purposes while Sanders is healthy for a Week 17 matchups with the Saints.

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.