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Gainwell looks like a useful piece of Tampa Bay's backfield but probably needs an injury or major disappointment from Bucky Irving to become a fantasy difference maker.
His pass-catching ability should make him a factor in PPR leagues, but questions remain about how much rushing volume and goal-line work he'll see.
Gainwell is best viewed as a RB3 or flex option, with more value in PPR.
Customize his projection for your exact league settings inside the Draft War Room.
Gainwell ranked fourth among RBs with 73 catches and fifth with 486 receiving yards last year. He added another 537 yards on the ground and scored 8 total TDs.
Gainwell was more valuable in PPR leagues, finishing RB20 in points per game vs. 25th in half-PPR and 31st in non-PPR.
Gainwell’s biggest game of the year came with Jaylen Warren out in Week 4: 99 yards and 2 TDs rushing, plus 6 catches for 35 yards.
Remove that game, and Gainwell drops to:
Gainwell worked in a near-even timeshare with Warren in their 16 games together. Warren led in carries; Gainwell in targets.
Gainwell ranked 24th among RBs in expected PPR points per game and 30th in half-PPR in those 16 games with Warren.
Gainwell was efficient as both a runner and receiver last year.
Among 51 RBs with 90+ carries, Gainwell ranked:
And among 40 RBs with 30+ targets, he finished:
Gainwell’s carries, rushing yards, targets, catches, receiving yards, and total TDs last year were all career highs.
He was lightly used across his first four NFL seasons with the Eagles, averaging just 4.2 carries, 2.1 targets, and 1.5 catches per game.
He also wasn't particularly efficient, averaging a mediocre 4.2 yards per carry, catching 73.9% of his targets, and posting 7.1 yards per catch.
Here’s where he ranked in yards per route among RBs with 20+ targets in each of those four seasons:
Gainwell hit free agency this offseason and landed a two-year, $14 million deal. That $7 million average annual salary ranks 22nd among RBs, just behind Tony Pollard and right ahead of fellow 2026 free agents Rico Dowdle and Tyler Allgeier.
Gainwell joins a Tampa Bay backfield that returns Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker but lost Rachaad White. White averaged 7.8 carries and 2.6 targets per game last year, although that dropped to 5.1 carries and 1.9 targets in 10 outings with Irving.
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles has described his backfield as a “1-2 punch” with Irving and Gainwell.
“He played very well last year, he’s played very well his whole career,” Bowles said of Gainwell in June. “He can catch the ball, he can block, he can run. He brings a speed element and an attitude element. He’s one of the unsung leaders of the offseason that has given us a little bit more toughness on offense, from a mental standpoint.”
Irving is coming off a tough 2025 season, missing seven games with shoulder and foot injuries and posting ugly rushing efficiency in the other 10. That followed an excellent rookie season in terms of both raw production and efficiency.
Which version of Irving we get in 2026 will likely impact how big a role Gainwell plays. It’s worth noting that Irving missed much of the offseason after undergoing shoulder surgery. He returned to the field for June minicamp.
Tucker returns on a restricted free-agent tender. He carried just 24 times in Irving’s 10 games last year, but seven of those came inside the 5-yard line. Tucker is a threat to take goal-line carries again this year.
The Buccaneers return QB Baker Mayfield and WRs Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin to lead the passing game. They lost WR Mike Evans, who averaged 9.0 TDs over his 12 seasons in Tampa Bay. That could turn some red-zone plays from passes into runs this year, although it’s unclear if Gainwell will get those chances near the goal line.
The Bucs return all five O-line starters. The group wasn’t great last year, ranking 22nd or worse in Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade, ESPN run-block win rate, and adjusted line yards. But the personnel and continuity give this O-line a chance to improve in 2026.
The Buccaneers canned OC Josh Grizzard after the season, replacing him with Zac Robinson.
Robinson spent five seasons working under Sean McVay in Los Angeles before serving as Falcons OC for the last two. Both of Robinson’s Atlanta offenses leaned run:
There isn’t a Bijan Robinson in Tampa Bay’s backfield, but we’re still expecting this to be a balanced offense in terms of run-pass split.
Gainwell will at least share work with Bucky Irving this season. But if he can claim something close to 50% of the carries, including some goal-line work, and dominate pass-catching work, Gainwell could score as a lower-end RB2 in PPR leagues.
If rookie-year Irving is back, Gainwell could be the clear No. 2 in both carries and targets. And Tucker could turn this into a three-man committee, hogging goal-line work.
That scenario would leave Gainwell as an unreliable fantasy play.
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Bucky Irving a Full-Go for Camp
Bucky Irving a Full-Go for Camp
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving has no restrictions as camp opens, HC Todd Bowles said. Irving missed most of the offseason program after February shoulder surgery but got back on the field for June minicamp. He's on track to be full-go for the start of the season.
Is Bucky Irving In Danger Of Missing The Start Of The Season?
Is Bucky Irving In Danger Of Missing The Start Of The Season?
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles might have let it slip that RB Bucky Irving is in danger of missing the start of the season. "We expect him sometime back in the summer or the fall," Bowles said Tuesday. What looked like a relatively harmless shoulder surgery in February now carries legit Week 1 downside for fantasy drafters.
Bucky Irving's Shoulder Rehab Bears Watching
Bucky Irving's Shoulder Rehab Bears Watching
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving isn’t cleared for football action yet after postseason shoulder surgery, according to Pewter Report.
Buccaneers Decide To Keep Sean Tucker
Buccaneers Decide To Keep Sean Tucker
The Buccaneers have placed the restricted free agent tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week that the Bucs would not use the tender on Tucker, which would have sent him to the open market. But Tampa is now set to pay Tucker $3.52 million on a one-year deal. Tucker can still negotiate with other teams, but the Bucs would have the right to match any offer.
Buccaneers Upgrade Backfield Receiving with Kenneth Gainwell
Buccaneers Upgrade Backfield Receiving with Kenneth Gainwell
Tampa Bay has agreed to a two-year deal with RB Kenneth Gainwell that will pay $14 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Gainwell spent 2025 with the Steelers after arriving on a mere one-year, $1.79 million pact. That followed four seasons with the Eagles, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2021.
See whether Kenneth Gainwell is available in your leagues.
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