Kenneth Gainwell wasn’t even supposed to be fantasy relevant last season. Instead, he had the best year of his career, establishing himself as a player who can have a prominent role in a committee. Now in Tampa Bay, should fantasy football managers be targeting the veteran running back?
Should You Draft Kenneth Gainwell in Fantasy Football?
If Gainwell were a wide receiver, he would be one of the easiest fades of all time. For four straight seasons to start his career, he never averaged more than 7.7 fantasy points per game. Typically, after four years, we know who a player is. Gainwell always looked like a legitimate NFL player, but just a rotational part of a backfield. He certainly didn’t project to be a potential weekly RB2. Yet, that’s what we got in 2025.
The prevailing thought heading into last season was that rookie Kaleb Johnson would step into the early-down back role vacated by Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren would be the primary receiving back, as that is where he excels. Instead, Warren became the new Harris, and it was Gainwell as the receiving back.
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The offensive situation with a broken-down version of Aaron Rodgers certainly helped, but there’s no denying the fact that Gainwell earned his touches. His 16.3% target share was obviously a career high. It was also fifth in the league. And it wasn’t just pure volume; Gainwell averaged 1.59 yards per route run, seventh in the league.
We’ve seen plenty of pure satellite backs get by and just the receptions. Gainwell wasn’t satisfied with just catching the ball and falling down. He was creating more after getting the ball in his hands (whether via air or ground), averaging 4.32 yards created per touch, fourth in the league. This was an efficient player who earned more work as the season went on because his play demanded it.
Perhaps the most notable part of Gainwell’s 2025 season was the Week 11 game that Warren missed. In that game, Gainwell served as a true feature back, playing 64% of the snaps. He totaled 105 yards and two touchdowns, posting 29.5 fantasy points. Of course, he will never be that good over a full season, so take this next statement in the proper context. That’s an example of Gainwell’s upside.
Gainwell’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
Now in Tampa Bay, Gainwell was not signed for an insignificant amount. While there isn’t necessarily a direct correlation between contract size and production, the totality of factors keys us into what we should expect from Gainwell.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers utilized Rachaad White as their primary receiving back last season. He’s now in Washington. Gainwell profiles very similarly to White in terms of what they do well, except Gainwell is better at just about everything.
Sean Tucker will likely remain the short-yardage and goal-line back, which caps Gainwell’s ceiling. However, Gainwell has room to make up ground on early downs, as Bucky Irving was simply dreadful last season.
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The Bucs’ usage of Irving over the second half of the season clues us into how they view this backfield, which is one that gives Gainwell a strong receiving floor. However, if Irving continues to play as poorly as he did last season, we know there’s the potential for more, and Gainwell proved he can handle a heavier workload when called upon last season.
Gainwell’s ADP opened close to RB40, but steadily rose throughout the Summer to RB35. Irving’s awful metrics from 2025, combined with the reports that his shoulder was still an issue after offseason surgery, caused his ADP to drop and Gainwell’s to rise. There may come a point where the cost becomes too expensive, but we are not there yet.
Gainwell is RB31 in our rankings, which remains above his ADP. I want to be high on Gainwell and view him as one of the best RB3s you can draft this season.
Gainwell’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
As exciting as Gainwell may be for redraft, dynasty is a different story. At 27 years old, Gainwell is not at any risk of decline this year, but he’s not exactly young. With that said, receiving ability tends to age better than rushing, which could allow Gainwell to remain effective into his early 30s. There’s potential for him to be a useful RB2/3 for the next half-decade if he can see enough work.
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While we are confident in his outlook for the upcoming season, there’s really no telling what things may look like in 2027 and beyond. After all, Gainwell only has one season of being even remotely fantasy relevant on his resume.
Gainwell is down at RB37 in our dynasty rankings, a bit lower than his redraft ranking. Given the lack of certainty of any long-term role, he’s a player fantasy managers should mostly view on a year-to-year basis, best utilized by contenders looking for immediate production.
