Who Should I Start? Kenneth Gainwell or Dameon Pierce

Sunday, January 7, 7:37 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell took seven carries for 62 yards and failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's 10-27 loss to the New York Giants. D'Andre Swift (illness) was ruled out early on Sunday, leaving the 24-year-old as the starter for the final game of the regular season. Gainwell looked good early but was not given the ball much after the team fell behind. The Eagle's offense was in disarray, with all of their top skills players injured either before or during the game, leading to a disappointing performance for everyone involved. Swift should be good to go next week when the Eagles travel to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers, leaving Gainwell off most managers' fantasy radars in DFS and tournaments.

Thursday, May 2, 4:48 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce had a notable rookie campaign after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In just 13 games before being sidelined with injuries, he racked up 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries and caught 30 passes for 165 yards and one score. However, his role, production, and efficiency declined in 2023 after the arrival of Devin Singletary, as he posted just 517 total yards and rushed for 2.9 yards per carry. Singletary is now gone, but the team traded for former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Despite this, Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke highly of Pierce in a recent media availability. "He is going to be a big part of what we're doing. Watching him move on the field, he looks pretty good. Everybody's looking forward to the opportunity in front of them; you can't worry about what's happened in the past," Caserio said. "He's got as good an attitude as anyone on the team. We're glad DP is here." While you never know whether a head coach or general manager is being honest in these situations, Caserio's comments can only help his fantasy stock. Fantasy managers should go into the season with low expectations for Pierce, but he should at least be viewed as a high-end handcuff running back in what projects to be one of the league's best offenses.