Who Should I Start? Kenny Gainwell or Kyle Monangai
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | 28.1 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 19.8 | 0.1 |
Kenny Gainwell News
Friday, August 28, 11:14 AM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell could lead the team in all-purpose yards this season, according to Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report. That sounds like a bold call with Bucky Irving still expected to lead the backfield, but Gainwell did exactly that for Pittsburgh last year. He finished 2025 with 1,656 all-purpose yards, piling up 537 on the ground, 486 as a receiver and another 633 on kickoff returns. Gainwell has carried that versatility into Tampa Bay. He has been used heavily as a receiver during camp, including in two-back packages with Irving, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has praised his ability to handle just about anything the offense asks of him. Irving should still get most of the carries, and Tampa Bay has not named Gainwell its primary kick returner. Reynolds' projection is aggressive, but Gainwell's receiving role and history of producing yards in several different ways give him a real path to making it happen.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | 45.5 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 10.7 | 0.1 |
Kyle Monangai News
Tuesday, September 1, 11:00 AM
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that running back Kyle Monangai (knee) is more week-to-week with his knee injury, according to Mason Williams of NWI.com. Monangai suffered a right-knee injury in training camp practice on Aug. 16 and is still no closer to returning to the field, which is bad news for his availability for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Carolina Panthers. If the 24-year-old is not available to start the year, Roschon Johnson will be the favorite for change-of-pace backup duties behind starter D'Andre Swift. Monangai's injury makes Swift a more appealing RB2, at least in the short term. After being taken in the seventh round last year from Rutgers, Monangai impressed with 783 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 169 carries in 17 regular-season contests, adding only 18 receptions on 30 targets for 164 yards as a receiver. His knee injury and lack of receiving skills out of the backfield are causing him to slip on fantasy draft boards, and RotoBaller has Monangai ranked as the RB40 for the 2026 season. Despite his injury, Monangai is still the handcuff for Swift managers.
Kenny Gainwell vs. Kyle Monangai
Still trying to decide between Gainwell and Monangai? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kenny Gainwell is projected to score 9.5 points this week while Kyle Monangai is projected to score 9.1 points.
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