Who Should I Start? Kenny Gainwell or Bucky Irving

Monday, August 17, 6:59 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell has the potential to be a value pick at his current ADP of 88.9. He's being selected in the eighth round of fantasy drafts as the 32nd running back off the board. The Bucs signed Gainwell to join a backfield that also features Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. While Irving is the clear No. 1 running back here, we expect to see Gainwell get plenty of volume, similar to his role with the Steelers in 2025. In Pittsburgh, he handled 114 carries and 73 receptions (187 touches) while teammate Jaylen Warren had 211 carries and 40 catches (254 touches). When all was said and done, the two backs combined for 441 touches, but Warren only had 67 more than Gainwell. It doesn't seem like the Bucs signed Gainwell to be solely a third-down back. Yes, he'll fetch plenty of targets, but he'll also get some early-down and goal-line work to offer a change of scenery and keep Irving fresh. In this type of role last year, Gainwell ranked as the RB16 in PPR leagues. He's the RB37 in RotoBaller's redraft rankings for 2026, but we wouldn't be shocked to see him finish as a top-24 fantasy back in PPR leagues for the second year in a row.