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Kenneth Gainwell is a 2023 fantasy football draft sleeper at running back and an ADP draft value. Target Gainwell as an undervalued RB in fantasy football drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~143 Overall
CURRENT ADP: ~190
ANALYSIS: Kenneth Gainwell spent his sophomore season competing with Miles Sanders and Boston Scott for touches in the Philadelphia backfield but made his mark in the playoffs. In those three games, he totaled the most rushing and receiving yards of the three backs, with 181 and 55, respectively. He also took over for Sanders during the Super Bowl after he went down due to injury.
Although the playoffs were where he shined, he still led the backfield in receptions and receiving yards during the regular season, despite playing an average of 28% of the offensive snaps with a season-high of 42%. It's difficult to garner too much data on Gainwell because of his limited touches. But he did average 4.5 yards per attempt and 7.3 yards per reception, demonstrating his efficiency in this offense.
Scott re-signed with the team on a one-year deal worth two million dollars. Sanders, who accounted for 259 rushing attempts and 26 targets, is headed to the Panthers. Losing Sanders opens up a lot of work for the remaining backs. In addition to bringing back Scott, Philly added Rashaad Penny on a one-year deal worth even less than Scott's. He'll receive $1.35 million with only $600,000 guaranteed. They also traded for D'Andre Swift, giving up very little in terms of capital and taking a chance that he could contribute.
We all know the situation with Penny at this point. He's talented and explosive but cannot stay healthy. Penny played in 14 of 16 games in his rookie season with Seattle. However, he's since played in 28 of a possible 66 games. He managed just five in 2022 before suffering a broken fibula. You can bet on one of two things happening in 2023: either Penny's role and workload get reduced in an attempt to keep him healthy or he plays in fewer than 17 games.
Swift's issues are similar, struggling with health. But he's also been demoted to the backup role several times throughout his career, falling out of favor with the coaching staff. He's missed 10 games across his three seasons. More importantly, he's only been denoted the starter in 16 of the 40 games he's been active.
It's fair to believe he can help the offense with a lesser role, but it will still leave room for others to play a part in an offense that will score a lot of points and lean on their rushing attack. They also have an excellent offensive line and one of the league's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks, opening up running lanes for the backfield.
Gainwell is competing for the pass-catching role, which some beat writers for the Eagles have called him a lock for. Furthermore, he possesses plenty of upside should Swift and/or Penny miss time (which feels all but guaranteed). The cherry on top is he's undrafted in many leagues with an ADP of 190.
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