Who Should I Start? A.J. Dillon or Will Shipley

Wednesday, March 12, 7:24 PM

The Philadelphia Eagles have reached an agreement with free-agent running back AJ Dillon (neck) on Wednesday. It will be a one-year deal where Dillon will serve as the primary backup to Saquon Barkley in Philly. The 26-year-old is reportedly fully healthy after missing all of last season due to a neck injury. Before that, Dillon was the primary backup to Aaron Jones in Green Bay for four seasons. Dillon has rushed for nearly 2,500 yards during his career with 16 touchdowns on the ground. His fantasy outlook doesn't look great behind Barkley, but injuries do happen. Dillon is a quality backup and someone that can be counted on if Barkley is forced to miss time.

Wednesday, May 21, 2:38 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is expected to fill the RB2 and two-minute offense role vacated by Kenneth Gainwell, according to team reporter Jimmy Kempski. "My understanding is that the Eagles were very encouraged by what they saw from Will Shipley during practice throughout the season and in games," he wrote. The team signed former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon this offseason, but he's unlikely to have much of a role unless Saquon Barkley gets banged up. Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Clemson, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught four passes for 35 yards in 16 games last season. The 22-year-old can be stashed in deeper setups, but it would be a surprise if he's playable in lineups given Barkley's workhorse role. That said, he would have plenty of upside if Barkley has to miss any time in 2025, and the former Giant has missed at least three games due to injury in four of his seven NFL seasons.