WillShipley

News: 3 days agoCompeting with Gainwell

Spin: Gainwell was the first to sub in for Barkley at the start of training camp and the first to take first-team reps Monday, but it sounds like the split between him and Shipley was pretty even throughout practice. The two are competing for the second spot on the depth chart, which presumably won't entail many snaps or touches unless Barkley suffers an injury. Shipley is the upside play for fantasy as a 2024 fourth-round pick, with Gainwell already having an extensive NFL track record that suggests he's no better than mediocre as a ballcarrier. That said, Gainwell has ample experience under coach Nick Sirianni, including a history of taking snaps in clear passing situations.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The Eagles selected in Shipley in the fourth round of the April draft, which may have surprised some since the franchise spent big money to secure Saquon Barkley earlier in the offseason. Then again, Barkley has been known to miss games, and Shipley caught 69 passes over his final two seasons at Clemson, so the Eagles could lessen Barkley's load on third downs. Either way, Shipley has little value when Barkley is healthy, but he should leapfrog Kenneth Gainwell on the depth chart, making him a reasonable late-round fantasy choice.