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Is Will Shipley or AJ Dillon the RB2 for the Philadelphia Eagles? Should you draft Shipley or Dillon in 2025 fantasy football drafts? Zach's draft analysis and advice.
The Philadelphia Eagles are ready to begin their Super Bowl title defense as they look to go back-to-back after defeating the Chiefs, 40-22, to claim last year's championship. Adding free-agent running back Saquon Barkley was one of the key additions that resulted in last year's Super Bowl win, and Barkley is back this year to be the centerpiece of this offense. He carries a huge workload and doesn't usually work in much of a rotation, but the backup running back in Philadelphia is still a critical spot to watch since an injury to Barkley would open massive opportunities.
But who is the team's backup running back after Kenneth Gainwell's departure to Pittsburgh? Is it second-year running back Will Shipley, or offseason addition AJ Dillon? Could there be value further down the depth chart as well? Could Montrell Johnson Jr., Keilan Robinson, or Shunderrick Powell work their way into a role?
Let's try to clarify the Eagles backfield behind Barkley and figure out the fantasy value of the various pieces in play.
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Will Shipley Fantasy Football Outlook
The Eagles drafted Shipley in the fourth round of last year's draft out of Clemson, but with Barkley and Gainwell dominating playing time and opportunities, Shipley ended up with only 30 carries and four catches on the season in his 16 games as a rookie.
Almost half of those touches were in Week 18, when he had 10 carries for 32 yards and caught all four of his targets for 35 yards in a win over the Giants while the starters rested.
Shipley flashed his ceiling in the NFC Championship Game after the Eagles turned it into a blowout, and he added his first career NFL touchdown in the 55-23 rout.
RBs with 75+ rushing yards on 4 carries or fewer in a playoff game:
Will Shipley (2024 NFC Championship)
That’s it.pic.twitter.com/gGhBL6BnOz
— EaglesMuse (@eaglesmuse_) May 24, 2025
Shipley has the chance to step up into the backup running back role this year since Gainwell signed a one-year deal with the Steelers. Gainwell suffered a concussion in the NFC Championship Game, which opened the door for Shipley to get that late work, but he returned to his role as Barkley's primary backup for the Super Bowl.
In his 17 regular-season games last year, Gainwell ended up with 75 carries for 290 yards and one touchdown while adding 16 catches for 116 yards. Barkley was healthy enough to play in each of the first 16 games in the regular season before resting before the playoffs in Week 18. Gainwell started and had 11 carries for 14 yards before Shipley got most of the work in that regular-season finale.
In the preseason, Shipley was listed as the second running back on the team's first unofficial depth chart, and he delivered right away in the preseason opener against the Bengals.
38 yards from Will Shipley!
Stream CINvsPHI on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/EsOfeXOj5r
— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2025
Shipley finished that game with seven carries for 48 yards and also caught his only target for four more yards. He didn't get into the end zone, but did get three straight carries from inside the 2-yard line before Tanner McKee scored on a tush push.
At this point, Shipley seems to have a firm grasp on the No. 2 spot in Philadelphia and could end up in one of the best situations in the league if an injury were to occur to Barkley. Barkley did have a massive workload last year and ended up playing 20 total games, including the postseason run. If he breaks down or the Eagles try to manage his workload, Shipley is lined up to be the next man up.
Even mediocre running backs have had success in the Eagles' run-heavy scheme in the past, and Shipley has shown enough sizzle to be a top option if he gets playing time.
For fantasy, Shipley is a huge bargain right now, with a lower ADP than some kickers and about 10 defenses. He's an RB6 at this point, meaning that in most standard-sized drafts, you can grab him in the last round. If you have Barkley, Shipley is a great handcuff, and if you're looking for running back depth with potential, Shipley is a viable dart throw.
AJ Dillon Fantasy Football Outlook
The Eagles signed former Boston College standout Dillon to a one-year deal this offseason after he was cleared to return after missing all of 2024 with a neck injury. Late in 2023, he suffered a stinger that didn't appear serious at first but ultimately sidelined him for the rest of that season and landed him on season-ending injured reserve last year.
Dillon is a bigger, more downhill runner than Shipley, and he totaled 613 yards at a lumbering 3.4 yards per carry in 2023, his last season with any NFL stats. Dillon does typically do well in pass protection and has impressed the team in training camp with his receiving abilities out of the backfield, according to a report earlier this training camp from ESPN's Dan Graziano.
In three years as a star running back at Boston College, Dillon had only 21 catches. However, he did have 34 receptions for 313 yards and two touchdowns in 2021, 28 receptions in 2022, and 22 receptions in 2023. If Barkley were ever to miss time, Dillon would likely be in the rotation as a receiving back and could end up with a large enough role to be a significant fantasy contributor.
In the team's first preseason game, Dillon worked behind Shipley, as indicated on the unofficial depth chart, and ran five times for 27 yards. He also caught each of his three targets for 27 yards.
A.J. Dillon with a really nice jump cut vs Bengals in NFL Preseason opener #NFL pic.twitter.com/5055mdbyyn
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) August 8, 2025
Dillon does have potential as a rotation piece, especially in PPR leagues. However, he'll probably only be fantasy relevant if Shipley struggles or Barkley gets injured. He does look fully healthy, though, so that's the key first step after he was out all of last year.
The rest of the Eagles running back room is also interesting, but they don't need to be drafted in most formats coming into the season. After Shipley and Dillon left the game against the Bengals at halftime, Robinson was the next back in the game. The second-year back had a team-high 12 carries but managed just 24 yards. Powell was more productive with 32 yards and a touchdown on his six carries.
ShunDerrick Powell with the BIG run on his first carry 👀
Small school UDFA who I had a day 3 grade on. I expect he’ll land on a roster or practice squad and stick around with his skillset: pic.twitter.com/8orZRpSTZA
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) August 8, 2025
Powell has a unique skill set as a smaller back with pass-catching abilities and is an interesting depth player to keep an eye on through the rest of the preseason and roster cuts. The rookie from Central Arkansas is multiple players away from being fantasy relevant, so he doesn't have to be stashed at this point, but he's a name to know for potentially down the road.
Who Should You Draft in Fantasy Football?
The Eagles are a great running team. On their way to the title last year, the offense provided both volume and efficiency on the ground. Much of the credit for their production deservedly goes to Barkley, who is a true superstar at the position and one of the most exciting players in the game.
The system is a great one for running backs as well, so if anything were to happen to Barkley, the running backs stepping in would also be top options from the waiver wire or coming in off your bench.
Right now, Shipley seems to have a firm grasp on the second spot on the depth chart. The team listed him in that spot, and he functioned in that role in the preseason, looking effective against the Bengals. He showed enough sizzle last year to hold onto that role, and he makes for a great late-round addition for your fantasy squad.
Whether he has value with Barkley healthy remains to be seen, but he most likely will just get a few carries per game, similar to Gainwell's role last year.
Dillon is another late-round flier worth considering as a handcuff to Barkley or to be used in case of a Barkley injury. Dillon has done enough in training camp and preseason so far to be in the mix for work if Barkley were injured, especially as a pass-catcher.
He could also be a little more effective than Shipley in short-yardage situations, although the team will likely still rely heavily on the tush push for short-yardage touchdowns again this season.
Both Shipley and Dillon are cheap enough to bring intriguing value as late-round fliers as you look for depth at running back. Neither should be counted on while Barkley is healthy, but both could be standouts in case of injury. Of the two, Shipley is the stronger pick at this point since he is working ahead of Dillon and could even have occasional production in games with Barkley available.
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