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Should I drop Kenny Gainwell for fantasy football Week 3? Is Kenny Gainwell a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
The fantasy season just started, but now is the time to evaluate your roster and make decisions to try to optimize your fantasy scoring for the immediate and long-term future. Getting stuck on the players you drafted, especially when their role isn’t providing fantasy points, can sink fantasy lineups quickly.
One player who could fit that billing is Kenny Gainwell, a veteran free agent signing by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. The hope was that Gainwell would be able to earn a sizable role in the Buccaneers’ backfield with potential for three-down work if Bucky Irving was injured. So far, that has not materialized.
Should fantasy managers drop Kenny Gainwell? Let’s dive in.
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Should I Drop Kenny Gainwell in Fantasy?
Kenny Gainwell was a popular mid-round running back selection throughout the summer. Gainwell was viewed as a potential fantasy contributor thanks to his work as a pass-catching back and complement to Bucky Irving in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ backfield.
Gainwell was coming off a career-best season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording 114 carries for 537 yards and five touchdowns while adding 85 targets, 73 receptions, 486 yards, and three touchdowns. That was enough to push Gainwell to an RB20 finish with 13.0 PPR points per game.
Rodgers finds Gainwell to keep drive alive on 4th and 3
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The veteran running back signed a two-year, $14 million contract to replace free agent Rachaad White in Tampa Bay’s backfield. Questions about Irving’s health combined with reports and quotes from coaches and quarterback Baker Mayfield pushed Gainwell up draft boards throughout the summer.
Throughout two weeks, it's clear that Irving, not Gainwell, is not in a position to contribute to fantasy lineups at this point in the season.
Irving has an advantage over Gainwell in terms of snap share (70.5% to 40.2%), attempts (25 to 7), touches (36 to 11), and opportunities (36 to 12). More importantly, Gainwell’s path to fantasy relevance, his work in the pass game, has yet to materialize. Gainwell has just five targets, three receptions, and eight yards in two games.
Fantasy managers can’t confidently put Gainwell into their fantasy lineups, but he remains a valuable potential handcuff given Irving’s injury history. The Buccaneers have a strong offensive line, and Gainwell would have only Sean Tucker as competition for touches if Irving were injured.
Who Should I Pick Up for Fantasy Football?
There have been plenty of injuries early in the fantasy season. While Gainwell would be considered a hold for many, the truth is fantasy managers who need a player with a consistent role may need to churn him, especially if they play in a league with limited bench spots.
Unfortunately, the options at the running back position aren’t dramatically better than Gainwell. Still, there are players who are getting more volume and have a clearer path to fantasy production early in the season.
San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (50% rostered) has 21 carries and one reception in his first two games, even though his fantasy production (10.5 PPR points) isn’t exceptional. Like Gainwell, he’d be in a position to be a high-end fantasy option in case of injuries.
Arizona Cardinals’ running back Tyler Allgeier (44% rostered) has 22 carries and four targets in two weeks while splitting the Cardinals’ backfield with rookie Jeremiyah Love. Allgeier only had five carries in a negative game script, but had 17 carries in a Week 1 win over the Chargers.
Finally, Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie Emmett Johnson (33% rostered) has back-to-back weeks with two targets and at least 6.0 fantasy points scored. Johnson is stuck behind Kenneth Walker III, but has impressed during his limited opportunities. He could earn more touches if he continues to shine in his limited role, but won’t offer much more production than Gainwell at this point.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Kaelon Black, Tyler Allgeier, Emmett Johnson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. 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 pickup... 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 2026 for Kaelon Black, Tyler Allgeier, Emmett Johnson:
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