Who Should I Start? Ty Johnson or Kenneth Gainwell

Monday, January 5, 6:38 PM

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day coming out of the team's Week 18 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, according to Matthew Bove. Johnson and Ray Davis saw much more work in the season finale against the Jets, with the Bills resting James Cook after he got the first two touches of the game. Johnson played 33% of the offensive snaps, carrying the ball a season-high 13 times for 36 yards and a touchdown. He added two catches on his two targets for 20 yards and another touchdown through the air. Davis touched the ball a team-high 23 times for 174 scrimmage yards and a touchdown as Buffalo's primary back. The 28-year-old Johnson finished the 2025 regular season with 50 carries for 200 yards and three TDs, adding 263 receiving yards and two more scores. It's unclear if he'll be ready for the Wild-Card round of the playoffs on Sunday against the Jags, but if he is, Johnson will be the RB3 behind Cook and Davis.

Monday, January 5, 10:49 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell continued to function as one of his team's most trusted offensive weapons in Week 18, recording 74 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 13 touches in a win over the Baltimore Ravens. While Gainwell scored his touchdown as a rusher, he did most of his work as a receiver, hauling in eight catches for 64 yards on nine targets. The 26-year-old finishes his 2025 season with 1,023 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns on 187 touches across 17 games played. He earned at least seven targets from Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in four out of the team's final five games. Gainwell will be a free agent once Pittsburgh's 2025 playoff run ends, so he's uncertain to be back with the Steelers next season. However, he could be a valuable PPR option for fantasy managers in 2026, particularly if he ends up playing alongside Rodgers in Pittsburgh for a second straight year.