The Philadelphia Eagles‘ backfield was a complete mystery for most heading into the 2023 NFL season after they parted ways with leading rusher Miles Sanders and brought in D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny as competition for the leading role in the backfield.
Some believed Kenneth Gainwell had a legitimate case for the top spot on the RB depth throughout the preseason. However, after a second consecutive lackluster fantasy year running behind one of the best offensive line units in the league, what is Gainwell’s dynasty fantasy football value heading into the 2024 NFL offseason?
Kenneth Gainwell’s Dynasty Outlook
To say Gainwell truthers felt vindicated after Week 1 of the 2023 season — where he dominated 81% of the total touches from the RB position — would be a massive understatement. Swift saw a total of two touches, and Penny saw zero.
Kenneth Gainwell turns into an acrobat at the end of this run to give the #Eagles the lead! 🔥#FlyEaglesFly
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 5, 2023
Unfortunately, Gainwell picked up a rib injury in the season-opening win against the New England Patriots and missed Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. This was the game where Swift rushed for a career-high 175 yards and a score, essentially taking the leading role from Gainwell and never looking back.
Gainwell has now finished outside of the top 40 running backs in PPR formats all three years of his NFL career and has never topped 400 yards rushing or 300 yards receiving in a season.
He’s a nice player who is a capable complementary or backup option, which is evident by solid career efficiency numbers. Yet, Gainwell has failed to make a big enough impression through his first three years to ever be handed the leading role in this backfield for any extended period.
MORE: Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Value Chart
If Philadelphia doesn’t bring back Swift (or add another back via free agency), Gainwell will enter the 2024 season atop the depth chart, but it’s hard to imagine the team rolling into next year with him as their starter.
This realization makes it hard to project anything more than what we’ve already seen from Gainwell throughout his career, which is around 550 total yards and three scores. That limits his trade market value significantly at this very moment.
Gainwell’s Dynasty Ranking
Where does Gainwell land in the dynasty RB landscape going into the 2024 offseason? Here are Tate’s latest rankings, featuring where Gainwell lands in comparison to other top names at the position.
1) Bijan Robinson | ATL
2) Breece Hall | NYJ
3) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
4) Christian McCaffrey | SF
5) Jonathan Taylor | IND
6) Kyren Williams | LAR
7) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX
8) Saquon Barkley | NYG
9) Rachaad White | TB
10) Isiah Pacheco | KC
11) James Cook | BUF
12) De’Von Achane | MIA
13) Kenneth Walker III | SEA
14) Alvin Kamara | NO
15) Javonte Williams | DEN
16) Tyjae Spears | TEN
17) Josh Jacobs | LV
18) Austin Ekeler | LAC
19) D’Andre Swift | PHI
20) Tony Pollard | DAL
21) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS
22) Najee Harris | PIT
23) Jaylen Warren | PIT
24) Joe Mixon | CIN
25) David Montgomery | DET
26) Zach Charbonnet | SEA
27) Zamir White | LV
28) Nick Chubb | CLE
29) Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
30) Derrick Henry | TEN
31) Kendre Miller | NO
32) Chase Brown | CIN
33) Keaton Mitchell | BAL
34) Roschon Johnson | CHI
35) Jerome Ford | CLE
36) Aaron Jones | GB
37) James Conner | ARI
38) Tyler Allgeier | ATL
39) Khalil Herbert | CHI
40) Ty Chandler | MIN
41) Devin Singletary | HOU
42) Raheem Mostert | MIA
43) Chuba Hubbard | CAR
44) Alexander Mattison | MIN
45) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI
46) J.K. Dobbins | BAL
47) Gus Edwards | BAL
48) AJ Dillon | GB
49) Dameon Pierce | HOU
50) Tank Bigsby | JAX
Should You Trade Gainwell in Dynasty?
Are you considering trading Gainwell? Our free PFN Trade Analyzer allows you to find the best trade offer to make in seconds!
For two consecutive years, there has been buzz around Gainwell potentially stealing a significant amount of work out of Philadelphia’s backfield… And for two straight years, those whispers have proven to be untrue.
The sheer fact both Swift and Penny were brought in last offseason to compete with Gainwell wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence. However, both are set to become unrestricted free agents in a handful of weeks, which again could leave Gainwell as the last man standing on the roster heading into free agency and the NFL Draft.
MORE: Dynasty Rookie Rankings 2024
The harder thing to overlook regarding Gainwell is how he wasn’t able to carve out a truly fantasy-relevant role while competing with Swift and Sanders over the last two seasons.
At this moment, if someone believes Gainwell is still going to significantly factor into this Philly backfield or they’re a just a believer in his talent and willing to give you a late second or early third-round pick, I would take that in a heartbeat.
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