We expect Jaylen Warren to get his job back when he's healthy. But until that happens, Gainwell needs to be rostered. He had a role before Warren went down and could be a bye-week replacement as the 1B in Pittsburgh against the right matchup. This week against the Browns is probably not that matchup, unless Warren is out again.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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We don't know if Jaylen Warren (knee) will return in Week 6 against Cleveland after Pittsburgh's bye week. And, if Warren is able to play, we don't know how the Steelers will use both running backs after Gainwell was awesome in place of an injured Warren in Week 4 against Minnesota in Ireland. In that game, Gainwell had 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns and six catches for 35 yards on six targets. I'm going to lean toward Warren getting his starting job back, but Gainwell probably deserves more work moving forward. And if Warren is out again then Gainwell is a must-start running back in all leagues. He's worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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The Steelers have a bye in Week 5, and we don't know how long Jaylen Warren (knee) will be out after he missed Week 4 against Minnesota in Ireland. If Warren returns to action in Week 6 then he should be the No. 1 running back in Pittsburgh. But if Warren is out again then you see how good Gainwell could be in a featured role after he dominated the Vikings with 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns and six catches for 35 yards on six targets. He should have more of a role in tandem with Warren moving forward when both are healthy, and Gainwell should be added in all leagues for at least 15 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Fills in admirably as lead back
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Gainwell rushed the ball 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings. He added six receptions on six targets for 35 yards.
Jaylen Warren (knee) was surprisingly inactive Sunday morning, leaving Gainwell to fill in as Pittsburgh's lead back. He did so admirably, scoring touchdowns from one and four yards away while also ripping off long gains of 15 and 10 yards. Gainwell also remained active as a pass catcher, giving him a well-rounded fantasy line. The Steelers are headed into their bye week, meaning this may be Gainwell's only chance to handle this type of workload for the time being, but he proved plenty capable of handling the lead-back role if needed.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Appears headed for start Sunday
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Gainwell is likely to serve as the Steelers' starting running back during Sunday's game against the Vikings in Dublin, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Though lead back Jaylen Warren (knee) was listed as questionable heading into Sunday, he had generally been expected to play until the Steelers made him inactive after he didn't respond as well to pregame warmups as the team had hoped. Warren should be ready to play following the Steelers' Week 5 bye, but his absence for the Ireland game clears the way for Gainwell to step into a more pronounced role. Gainwell served as the Steelers' clear No. 2 running back through the first three weeks of the season and has accrued a 16-55-1 rushing line and 7-30-0 receiving line on 10 targets, though he had seen his snap share trend down in each successive game. Expect Gainwell's playing time to dramatically increase out of necessity Sunday, though he could operate as the lead option of a committee rather than a true three-down back. The Steelers have made both Kaleb Johnson and Trey Sermon active for Week 4, and both could see some involvement on early downs in order to keep Gainwell fresh on passing downs.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Punches in short TD in win
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Gainwell carried the ball four times for 16 yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for 10 yards in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Patriots.
The former Eagle scored his first TD as a Steeler in the first quarter, punching in a one-yard score for the game's first points. Gainwell has worked as a short-yardage complement to Jaylen Warren through three weeks, a role that has led him to 85 scrimmage yards on 23 touches, and he'll likely need to find the end zone again to have much fantasy value in Week 4 against the Vikings.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Tallies 36 yards
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Gainwell rushed the ball five times for 20 yards in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Seahawks. He added three receptions on five targets for 16 yards.
Gainwell was out-touched 18-8 by Jaylen Warren, settling into a change-of-pace role in the Pittsburgh offense. Gainwell's most notable carry came late in the third quarter when he spelled Jaylen Warren near the goal line, but he was stuffed at the four-yard line. Gainwell will likely struggle to get enough volume to be fantasy relevant in most formats, particularly if Kaleb Johnson is able to emerge in the offense as the season progresses.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Kaleb Johnson will hopefully start to get more work as the season goes on, but Gainwell and Jaylen Warren appear to be the top running backs for the Steelers right now. Warren is a borderline starter in all leagues, and Gainwell is worth stashing on your bench in deeper formats. In Week 1 at the Jets, Gainwell had seven carries for 19 yards and three catches for 4 yards on four targets. He's worth adding in deeper PPR leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Limited production in Week 1
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Gainwell rushed seven times for 19 yards while securing three of four targets for four yards during Sunday's 34-32 win over the Jets.
While rookie Kaleb Johnson drew plenty of buzz during training camp and preseason action as a complementary back alongside Jaylen Warren, Gainwell was on the field for 54 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps in Sunday's regular-season opener, while Johnson played just two offensive snaps. Gainwell's playing time was encouraging, but he was inefficient with his opportunities. As long as Pittsburgh's backfield remains relatively healthy, it seems unlikely that the 26-year-old will have much fantasy upside in 2025, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson take some of Gainwell's snaps as the season progresses.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Minimal output in preseason loss
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Gainwell rushed twice for two yards while securing his lone target for two yards during Saturday's 17-14 preseason loss to Tampa Bay.
Jaylen Warren was a healthy scratch for a second consecutive preseason game Saturday, and Gainwell drew the start over rookie Kaleb Johnson. However, Gainwell was unable to do much with limited touches in the defeat, while Johnson racked up 11 carries for 50 yards while securing his lone target for nine yards. Although it was encouraging to see Gainwell draw the start Saturday, he'll likely need to generate more production if he hopes to carve out some work behind Warren during the regular season.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Stays in Pennsylvania
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The Steelers agreed to terms with Gainwell on a one-year contract Tuesday, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.
The former Eagle won't have to move far, as he's staying in the state of Pennsylvania. With the Steelers, Gainwell slides into a backfield with a clear opening after Najee Harris left to join the Chargers on Monday. In four seasons with Philly, Gainwell rushed 280 times for 1,185 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 102 catches for 721 yards and an additional score in the passing game. He's a quality change-of-pace back, though his skill set feels a bit redundant with Jaylen Warren already on the roster. Gainwell is unlikely to have much fantasy relevance in 2025 barring an injury to Warren, and the Steelers may not be done adding at the position.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Staring down free agency
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Gainwell rushed 75 times for 290 yards (3.9 YPC) and one touchdown across 17 regular-season appearances with the Eagles in 2024. He also secured 16 of 22 targets for 116 receiving yards, while racking up a career-high 456 yards as a kick returner.
Gainwell spent the 2024 campaign operating in a depth complementary role behind superstar backfield leader Saquon Barkley, culminating in just six carries for 10 yards during the team's Super Bowl LIX win. Having played out the final year of his rookie deal, the 2021 fifth-round pick is now slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year next week. Gainwell's versatile skillset will improve his odds of securing another pass-catching or change-of-pace role.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Set for Super Bowl
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Gainwell (concussion/knee) doesn't carry a designation into Sunday's Super Bowl LIX matchup versus the Chiefs.
Since sustaining a concussion in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26, Gainwell didn't take part in drills last week, but a limited session Wednesday was followed by back-to-back uncapped practices. Now, with no designation to speak of, he's gained clearance from an independent neurologist and thus is good to serve as the direct backup to workhorse RB Saquon Barkley this weekend. In three postseason games so far, Gainwell has combined for 10 touches for 58 yards from scrimmage.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Bumps up to full participation
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Gainwell (concussion/knee) practiced in full Thursday,
Gainwell has followed up Wednesday's limited session with all activity one day later, indicating he's in the later stages of his recovery from the concussion that he sustained in the NFC Championship Game against the Commanders on Jan. 26. He remains subject to an examination from an independent neurologist in order to be available as Saquon Barkley's direct backup for Super Bowl LIX versus the Chiefs this Sunday.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Limited in return to practice
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Gainwell (concussion/knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.
Gainwell took part in his first notable on-field work since he sustained a concussion in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26. He'll have to clear the five-step concussion protocol in order to make himself available for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the Chiefs, but he at least has made some progress on that front.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Doesn't practice Thursday
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Gainwell (concussion/knee) was listed as a DNP on Thursday's injury report.
Gainwell entered concussion protocol during the Eagles' NFC Championship Game victory over the Commanders this past Sunday. With another week of practice ahead for the Eagles before Super Bowl LIX against the Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 9, Gainwell has additional time to clear the league's five-step concussion protocols. The 2021 fifth-round pick logged seven carries for 32 yards and caught all three of his targets for 26 yards across three playoff games.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Listed as non-participant
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Gainwell (concussion/knee) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's estimated practice.
Gainwell was ruled out of Philadelphia's win over Washington in the NFC Championship Game this past Sunday due to a concussion, and he's also currently dealing with a knee injury. The depth running back and return man will work to return to full health in time to contribute in the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX matchup with the Chiefs on Feb. 9. For the time being, rookie Will Shipley will be in position to handle increased practice reps behind lead back Saquon Barkley.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Forced out versus Washington
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Gainwell has been ruled out of Sunday's NFC Championship Game versus the Commanders due to a concussion.
Gainwell logged three carries and two catches before exiting Sunday's game. The 25-year-old appeared to take a blow to the head/neck area while blocking on the opening kickoff of the second half. In his absence, rookie Will Shipley will have to step up as RB2 behind Saquon Barkley. Should the Eagles hold on to win versus the Commanders, then Gainwell will have two weeks to clear concussion protocol before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Appears headed for Week 18 start
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Gainwell took reps with the first-team offense during pregame drills and appears in line to start Sunday's game against the Giants, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.
With the Eagles having locked up the NFC's No. 2 seed, normal lead back Saquon Barkley will be resting in the regular-season finale, leaving Gainwell and Will Shipley as the team's available backfield options after Philadelphia elected not to elevate Tyrion Davis-Price from the practice squad for the second week in a row. Though he has worked as Barkley's top backup all season, Gainwell probably won't be tasked with handling a three-down workload, as the Eagles presumably want Gainwell to escape Week 18 healthy so that he can reprise his usual change-of-pace role in the wild-card round. With that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if Shipley ends up seeing the larger share of snaps, though both he and Gainwell could struggle to produce with their opportunities while playing behind an offensive line mostly consisting of reserve players.
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Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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We expect the Eagles to let Saquon Barkley play in Week 18 against the Giants since he needs 101 yards to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards. But if Barkley sits, or when he leaves the game with the record if he gets it, Gainwell should get plenty of touches in a favorable matchup. If Barkley doesn't play, then Gainwell is a solid flex option in all leagues. A running back has scored at least 12.9 PPR points against the Giants in 13 games in a row.
