Kenneth Gainwell

Kenneth Gainwell

26-Year-Old Running BackRB
Pittsburgh Steelers
2025 Fantasy Outlook
After winning a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles, Gainwell took his talents cross-state to the Steelers in the offseason. A fifth-round pick in 2021, he never got a chance to win the starting role in Philly but supplied solid production in a backup role. Gainwell's path to more significant volume is a little clearer in Pittsburgh than it would have been behind Saquon Barkley, but not by much. Jaylen Warren heads into 2025 as the favorite to start, and the Steelers used a third-round pick on Iowa's Kaleb Johnson to fill the spot vacated by Najee Harris. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#340.09
ADP
Signed a one-year, $1.79 million contract with the Steelers in March of 2025.
Fills in admirably as lead back
RBPittsburgh Steelers
September 28, 2025
Gainwell rushed the ball 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings. He added six receptions on six targets for 35 yards.
ANALYSIS
Jaylen Warren (knee) was surprisingly inactive Sunday morning, leaving Gainwell to fill in as Pittsburgh's lead back. He did so admirably, scoring touchdowns from one and four yards away while also ripping off long gains of 15 and 10 yards. Gainwell also remained active as a pass catcher, giving him a well-rounded fantasy line. The Steelers are headed into their bye week, meaning this may be Gainwell's only chance to handle this type of workload for the time being, but he proved plenty capable of handling the lead-back role if needed.
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Kenneth Gainwell's 2025 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Broken Tackle %
    The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
  • Positive Run %
    The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
  • % Yds After Contact
    The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
  • Avg Yds After Contact
    The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
  • Rushing TD %
    Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
  • Touches Per Game
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
  • % Snaps w/Touch
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Broken Tackle %
22.9%
 
Positive Run %
80.0%
 
% Yds After Contact
59.1%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
2.6
 
Rushing TD %
8.6%
 
Touches Per Game
12.0
 
% Snaps w/Touch
43.6%
 
Air Yards Per Game
-2.5
 
Air Yards Per Snap
-0.09
 
% Team Air Yards
-2.0%
 
% Team Targets
15.2%
 
Avg Depth of Target
-0.6 Yds
 
Catch Rate
81.3%
 
Drop Rate
6.3%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
6.2
 
% Targeted On Route
27.1%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.10
 
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Pittsburgh SteelersSteelers 2025 RB Snap Distribution
K.Kenneth Gainwell
#% of Team Snaps

11049%
10446%
157%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Kenneth Gainwell lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2025 Kenneth Gainwell Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Kenneth Gainwell's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
5' 9"
 
Weight
200 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.44 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.46 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.26 sec
 
Vertical Jump
35.0 in
 
Broad Jump
121 in
 
Bench Press
21 reps
 
Hand Length
9.88 in
 
Arm Length
30.38 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Kenneth Gainwell See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Kenneth Gainwell See More
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
2021
Gainwell has the trust of Philadelphia's coaching staff on passing downs despite his mostly poor results as a receiver (career 5.2 YPT), and one would think something has to give there -- either he'll improve or the playing time will come up for review. In any case, Gainwell's playing time was already up for review once the Eagles signed Saquon Barkley in free agency, as Barkley is one of the very best passing-down backs in the league. Gainwell and rookie fourth-round pick Will Shipley are the leading candidates for depth roles behind the Eagles' new workhorse back, with any potential fantasy value dependent on Barkley missing time.
Although he's valuable depth to the Eagles, Gainwell might need a change of scenery to flourish. His primary selling point is his receiving ability, and the Eagles offense hasn't shown much room for its running backs to draw targets -- the ball tends to go deep rather than underneath, and would-be short targets often turn into Jalen Hurts carries instead. As a pure runner, Gainwell can't compete with newcomers Rashaad Penny or D'Andre Swift, likely leaving him to compete with Boston Scott for the RB3 distinction. Penny and Swift might be the most fragile one-two punch in the league, but even if one, or both, miss time, Gainwell presumably will split reps with Boston Scott.
Gainwell showed occasional flashes of productivity as a rookie fifth-round pick last season but never established a consistent role in the Philadelphia backfield. He topped 80 scrimmage yards on three occasions, Weeks 4, 13 and 18, which accounted for nearly half his yardage for the season. Gainwell mostly saw playing time on passing downs, but he was arguably more effective as a runner, with 4.3 YPC and five TDs on only 68 carries, while he managed only 5.1 YPT and dropped five passes. His role for Year 2 is uncertain, as Philadelphia doesn't seem to view Miles Sanders as a true No. 1 running back, which could open the door. Gainwell’s skill set is similar to that of his former Memphis teammate Tony Pollard, including the sub-4.5 speed, only Gainwell doesn't have someone with the pedigree or massive contract of Ezekiel Elliott ahead of him on the depth chart.
The latest product of the Memphis running back factory, Gainwell follows Antonio Gibson, Tony Pollard and Darrell Henderson to the NFL, and while he may not be quite as fast as those guys, a 4.44 40-yard time at his pro day suggests Gainwell can also scoot. He showed impressive elusiveness, balance and vision in college, and despite being a bit undersized for a running back, he was more than willing to lower his pads and try to grind out yards between the tackles when asked to. That approach won't necessarily work against stronger defenders in the NFL, but with only one season of significant touches at Memphis on his resume after he opted out of the 2020 campaign, accumulated wear and tear is not a concern. Gainwell also has the receiving and pass-protection skills to carve out a role on third downs, giving him a path to less physically demanding touches, while also providing some early down production. Unfortunately, after being taken in the fifth round by the Eagles, he lands in a crowded backfield that has Miles Sanders in the top spot and an experienced backup in Boston Scott - not to mention QB Jalen Hurts - competing for carries and touches. The path to playing time is precarious, and the Eagles offense won't necessarily be a hotbed of RB production.
More Fantasy News
Appears headed for start Sunday
RBPittsburgh Steelers
September 28, 2025
Gainwell is likely to serve as the Steelers' starting running back during Sunday's game against the Vikings in Dublin, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Punches in short TD in win
RBPittsburgh Steelers
September 21, 2025
Gainwell carried the ball four times for 16 yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for 10 yards in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Patriots.
ANALYSIS
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Tallies 36 yards
RBPittsburgh Steelers
September 14, 2025
Gainwell rushed the ball five times for 20 yards in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Seahawks. He added three receptions on five targets for 16 yards.
ANALYSIS
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Limited production in Week 1
RBPittsburgh Steelers
September 8, 2025
Gainwell rushed seven times for 19 yards while securing three of four targets for four yards during Sunday's 34-32 win over the Jets.
ANALYSIS
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Minimal output in preseason loss
RBPittsburgh Steelers
August 17, 2025
Gainwell rushed twice for two yards while securing his lone target for two yards during Saturday's 17-14 preseason loss to Tampa Bay.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Intrastate move in free agency
RBPittsburgh Steelers
March 12, 2025
Gainwell, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Eagles, signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on Tuesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Gainwell thus remains in Pennsylvania and will help the Steelers make up for the free-agent defection of Najee Harris, who agreed to a deal with the Chargers. Gainwell has never handled a true lead-back workload over an extended period in Philadelphia and should play a similar complementary role with the Steelers.
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