Who Should I Start? Kenneth Gainwell or Jaleel McLaughlin

Tuesday, January 13, 11:32 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell had 10 touches for 46 scrimmage yards in Monday night's 30-6 loss in the Wild-Card round to the visiting Houston Texans. He also added 100 yards on four kickoff returns. The 26-year-old carried the ball six times for 20 yards and caught four of his six targets for 26 yards. Gainwell's performance didn't stand out on offense, but it was a career year for him in 2025 in his first season in Pittsburgh, as he finished with a career-high 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns on a career-high 114 carries in 17 regular-season games. He added a career-best 73 receptions on 85 targets for 486 yards and three touchdowns. The Steelers will most likely be interested in re-signing Gainwell, who will be an unrestricted free agent in March. Gainwell's 2026 fantasy value could change drastically if he's not in Pittsburgh.

Friday, January 9, 8:09 PM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was only active for eight games in 2025 and didn't make his season debut until Week 6. It wasn't until after J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury that McLaughlin started to really become a factor in Denver's backfield in Week 11. The 25-year-old finished his third year in the NFL with a career-low 37 carries for 187 yards (5.1 yards per tote) and one touchdown, adding four catches for 27 yards. Head coach Sean Payton continues to say that he'd like to get McLaughlin more work, but it has been rookie RJ Harvey who has been the Broncos' clear lead back. To close out the regular season, McLaughlin had 13 carries for 81 yards on the ground while adding a 17-yard catch in two wins against the Chiefs and Chargers. The Broncos have a bye in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this weekend, but at best, McLaughlin will be a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex option in playoff leagues.