Who Should I Start? Kenny Gainwell or TreVeyon Henderson


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

Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell to be Used Interchangeably?

Friday, June 26, 7:14 PM

The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud doesn't think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to give running back Bucky Irving 15-plus carries again in 2026 due to injury concerns. When discussing newcomer Kenneth Gainwell, who was the MVP of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense last year, Stroud said, "That's not backup money. I think they will go with the hot hand." The Bucs signed Gainwell to a two-year, $14 million contract in free agency in March after the 27-year-old had a career year in 2025 in the Steel City, carrying the ball 114 times for 537 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and five touchdowns while catching 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 85 targets as a pass-catcher in 17 regular-season games (two starts). Tampa's offense is switching to more outside zone as well, which could favor Gainwell in his new digs. It's obviously bad news for Irving and his fantasy stock going into 2026 after he played in just 10 games due to injuries in Year 2. Fantasy managers should target the 23-year-old as more of an RB3/flex than a legitimate RB2, with Gainwell gaining steam as an RB3/flex with more appeal in PPR leagues.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.6 50.9 0.4 2.1 15.0 0.1

TreVeyon Henderson News

TreVeyon Henderson Ready to Make Second-Year Leap?

Tuesday, July 7, 7:14 AM

The Athletic's Chad Graff writes that New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson is "one of the most intriguing players entering training camp" this summer as he looks to bring more consistency to the Patriots' backfield. He was drafted in the second round in 2025 out of Ohio State to bring more explosiveness to the offense, and he finished with 180 carries for 911 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and nine rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (four starts), adding 35 receptions for 221 more yards and another TD on 42 targets. Henderson's first year in the NFL started slowly, as he saw 10-plus carries just once in the first seven games as the backup to veteran Rhamondre Stevenson. He ended the year with close to 1,000 rushing yards, but Henderson had just three carries in the AFC Championship Game and six in the Super Bowl. The 23-year-old's struggles with pass protection were part of the reason he spent more time on the bench down the stretch. Graff believes that the addition of Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown will cause defenses to play more two-high safety coverages, potentially opening up running lanes for Henderson and Stevenson closer to the line of scrimmage. If Henderson can show improvement as a pass-catcher -- he ranked 32nd in the NFL among RBs in yards per route run -- he could be a strong RB2 for fantasy managers in 2026.


Kenny Gainwell vs. TreVeyon Henderson

Still trying to decide between Gainwell and Henderson? 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 TreVeyon Henderson is projected to score 11.6 points.