Who Should I Start? Kenneth Gainwell or Brashard Smith


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kenneth Gainwell News

Kenneth Gainwell Standing Out During OTAs

Sunday, June 14, 11:10 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell has been a standout in his team's offense during OTAs, per Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report. Gainwell is entering his first season in Tampa after signing a two-year, $14 million contract with the team in free agency. The 27-year-old put together a breakout season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, recording 1,023 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns on 187 touches across 17 games. Gainwell recorded 73 catches on 85 targets last season, and Reynolds reports that he has "excelled as a receiver out of the backfield" early on with the Bucs. Entering 2026, Gainwell appears to be carving out a 1B role alongside the 1A in the Tampa Bay backfield, Bucky Irving.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Brashard Smith News

Can Brashard Smith Be Dropped in Dynasty Leagues?

Friday, June 5, 5:19 AM

Inconsistency and a lack of a true bell cow atop the Chiefs' running back depth chart allowed ample opportunity for Brashard Smith to carve out a meaningful role as a 2025 rookie, but the seventh-round pick out of SMU was never able to capitalize. Appearing in all 17 games, Smith ran for only 151 yards on a 3.4-yard-per-carry clip, adding another 172 yards through the air and scoring his only touchdown of the season in a Week 17 loss to the Broncos. Kansas City added the top free agent running back on the market in Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III before spending a fifth-round pick on arguably the best receiving back in the 2026 rookie class, Emmett Johnson. The Chiefs rounded out their depth chart with the low-cost addition of veteran Emari Demercado, who had been hyper-efficient in his limited work with the Cardinals, averaging almost 7.9 yards per attempt over the past two seasons. Smith has accordingly been pushed to the bubble of most dynasty rosters, and with no clear path to fantasy relevance, he has fallen to RB74 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, making him a drop candidate in all but the deepest leagues.


Kenneth Gainwell vs. Brashard Smith

Still trying to decide between Gainwell and Smith? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kenneth Gainwell is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Brashard Smith is projected to score 0.0 points.