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Should I pickup Will Shipley or Tank Bigsby as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of 2025? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
Saquon Barkley's (groin) first season with the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't have gone any better. In 2024, Barkley became the NFL's ninth 2,000-yard rusher, posting 2,005 yards on the ground on 345 carries and scoring 15 total touchdowns.
His follow-up season has gotten off to a slow start. Prior to Week 8, Barkley was averaging 3.3 yards per carry and 52.7 yards per game. He finally broke loose in Week 8, popping off for 150 rushing yards on 14 carries against the Giants and scoring two touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Barkley pulled up lame on his last run in the game at the end of the third quarter. With the game in hand, the Eagles turned to backups Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby to close things out. Should you pick up Shipley or Bigsby ahead of Week 9? Let's dive in.
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Will Shipley Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Shipley was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Clemson. During Barkley's remarkable 2024 campaign, Shipley's production in his rookie year was limited to 30 carries for 82 yards and four catches for 35 receiving yards.
Shipley's second season as a pro is off to a similar start. With Barkley again dominating the team's opportunities out of the backfield, Shipley has been handed the ball seven times resulting in 28 rushing yards in six games played. Barkley downplayed his injury and was optimistic that he would be ready for Week 10 in postgame comments to the press. Should Philly exercise caution and not push their star running back for an immediate return, Shipley could see an uptick in usage.
Tank Bigsby Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
The other running back who would benefit if Barkley misses more than just a bye week is Tank Bigsby. Bigsby got most of the work after Barkley's early departure in Week 8, getting in on 13 of the Eagles' 16 offensive snaps in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with nine carries for 104 rushing yards.
Like Shipley, Bigsby's production has been minimal since joining the Eagles via trade after Week 1. Even though he made an appearance in each game since coming to Philadelphia, he didn't touch the ball until Week 7, when he logged a single carry and one catch for a total of 10 scrimmage yards.
After yesterday's huge game, Tank Bigsby is averaging 11.5 yards per carry on 10 carries this season.
Of those 10 rushes, four went for 10+ yards in Sunday's win.
Bigsby looks like the RB2 the #Eagles need to help spell Barkley this season. pic.twitter.com/oZ8mgs6uez
— Cory Nidoh (@Cory_Nidoh) October 27, 2025
Should I Pick Up Will Shipley or Tank Bigsby For Fantasy Football?
How the Eagles utilized Shipley versus Bigsby in Week 8 is a strong indicator of the backfield pecking order going forward. That Philadelphia saw fit to acquire Bigsby with Shipley already in reserve tells me that the team didn't have full faith that the latter back was fully capable of shouldering the load if Barkley ever went down.
The combination of Barkley's optimism for Week 10 and the Eagles having a bye in Week 9 has resulted in a cooler market for Shipley and Bigsby than one might expect. Any fantasy football manager interested in adding either running back needs to have the wiggle room required for a bench stash and also be willing to take the loss if Barkley is able to make it back after a week of rest.
Philadelphia will be up against Green Bay in Week 11, followed by Detroit in Week 12. Both teams have been among the stingiest against the run this year, potentially further delaying a payoff if Barkley is out that long. After that stretch, however, there is a slough of promising matchups leading up to and including the fantasy football playoffs for whoever the Eagles are handing off to.
We never want to root for an injury, but it pays to be prepared. In case Barkley is out long-term, it would be wise to add one of Philadelphia's backup running backs now, before any breaking news drives up the FAAB cost of either. Prioritize Bigsby over Shipley, and in either case be ready to wait before seeing a return on your investment.
Tank Bigsby Could See Larger Role After Bye Week https://t.co/uLVqHwiPND
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 29, 2025
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Trey Benson, Bam Knight, Dylan Sampson, Brashard Smith. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Trey Benson, Bam Knight, Dylan Sampson, Brashard Smith:
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