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The Philadelphia Eagles had an elite rushing attack in 2022. They led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (32) and finished top-five in rushing attempts (third with 544) and rushing yards (fifth with 2,509). However, things changed this offseason.
The Eagles lost Miles Sanders in free agency. Last year, the former Penn State star had 259 rushing attempts for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, all career highs. Furthermore, he led the team in rushing attempts and yards while finishing second in touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts was the only other Eagle with more than 53 rushing attempts and 240 yards last year.
After losing Sanders to the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia signed Rashaad Penny and traded for D’Andre Swift. They join Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott in the backfield, making things complicated and frustrating for fantasy players.
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Is Kenneth Gainwell Playing In Week 2?
Last week, Gainwell was the featured running back against the New England Patriots. He had 14 rushing attempts for 54 yards in the game. The former Memphis star also caught all four targets for 20 receiving yards.
More importantly, Gainwell was the featured running back. He accounted for 87.5% of the backfield rushing attempts and 90% of the yards. Furthermore, the third-year player had 57.1% of the targets and 74.1% of the receiving yards from the team’s backfield in Week 1.
Unfortunately, the former Memphis star suffered a rib injury against the Patriots. Gainwell won’t play tonight against the Minnesota Vikings.
Should I Pickup And Start Rashaad Penny?
Last week, Penny was a healthy inactive against the Patriots. The Eagles only had three running backs active for the game. With Scott playing a critical role on special teams, he got the third running back spot over Penny. However, the former Seattle Seahawks running back should be active for tonight’s contest.
While Penny should see the field, that doesn’t mean fantasy players should start the former first-round pick. Last week, the Vikings held Rachaad White to only 2.3 yards per rushing attempt. More importantly, there is no indication that Penny will earn touches ahead of Swift.
Fantasy players should add Penny off the waiver wire and see what happens in tonight’s game. The veteran is an immediately sell-high candidate if he has a strong performance. The Philadelphia backfield will be a headache for fantasy players this season. It’s best to avoid the situation if possible.
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