Saquon Barkley (hamstring) not seen at practice

With Barkley ruled out and Tank Bigsby (core) on injured reserve, the Eagles will officially go with Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce as their top two backs. Shipley feels like a safe bet to serve as the team’s primary pass-catching back, but whether or not he sees the majority of rush attempts is to be determined. It wouldn’t be surprising if Pierce, who profiles as more of an early-down grinder than Shipley, leads the Eagles’ backfield in carries this week, but fantasy managers shouldn’t rush to add him to their lineups. Shipley will likely fall somewhere in the RB2 rankings this week, while Pierce is nothing more than a stash at the end of fantasy benches.

Barkley will likely be listed as a non-participant on today’s official injury report. He is unlikely to play in Week 5 against the Jaguars. Aside from Barkley, the Eagles have RBs Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce on the active roster. Shipley will probably lead the backfield in touches this week, but it could be a messy workload split.

Pierce will probably operate as the team’s No. 2 back behind Will Shipley this week against the Jaguars, one of the league’s best rush defenses. Tank Bigsby and Saquon Barkley are sidelined, leaving the Eagles scraping bottom for backfield depth. Look for Pierce to get some early-down work against the Jaguars. Shipley, who had six carries for 23 yards last week, is the only viable fantasy option of the two, though head coach Nick Sirianni heaped praise on Pierce Wednesday. “He’s an NFL starting running back,” Sirriani said of Pierce. “Maybe wouldn’t have said that when he was on our practice squad publicly, because of the fear of losing him. But he’s an NFL starting running back.”

Barkley departed the team’s Week 4 loss to the Rams in the second quarter and did not return, with Ian Rapoport relaying that the team views him as “week-to-week,” for the time being. Rapoport added that the team does not view the injury as a long-term issue. Regardless, Barkley appears set to miss multiple games with the soft tissue injury, leaving the team paper thin at running back after backup Tank Bigsby inured a core muscle that requires surgery. Will Shipley is the only other back currently on the active roster, while Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, and Jaydon Blue are with the team on the practice squad. Shipley warrants a waiver addition while managers in deeper leagues can consider taking an early flier on Blue.

Rapoport reports there are hopes that Bigsby will be back “in six weeks or shorter.” The 24-year-old back will be required to miss at least four games now that he’s headed for an IR stint. With Saquon Barkley (hamstring) also at risk of missing at least one game, third-string RB Will Shipley could be in line for a busy day in Week 5 against the Jaguars. Shipley rushed six times for 23 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, but could be a sneaky option in PPR leagues given his pass-catching profile during his days at Clemson, when he caught 85 passes over three seasons. It also wouldn’t be surprising if Dameon Pierce or Jaydon Blue were promoted off the practice squad and saw early down touches while Shipley serves in more of a third-down role. There’s a lot to figure out here over the next few days.

Barkley went down early in Sunday’s loss to the Rams and did not return to the game. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said earlier on Monday that Barkley’s injury “does not seem to be overly serious,” but with the Eagles taking on the Jaguars in London next week, it wouldn’t be surprising if he missed at least one game. Backup Tank Bigsby led the Eagles with 55 rushing yards on 14 carries and could be a viable RB2 if Barkley is out.

Shipley was the carries understudy to Tank Bigsby after Saquon Barkley suffered a hamstring injury on the game’s second series, though they played a near-even amount of snaps. Bigsby, who himself has been nursing an abdomen issue, was also banged up late. Needless to say, this is a backfield that is going to require many updates between now and Week 5. Hopefully we have a little clarity before waivers bids are due overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Even if Bigsby is declared fine, Shipley is certainly worth an addition.

Barkley was injured on the Eagles’ second series and officially ruled out midway through the second quarter. He had only two carries for eight yards before departing. It has been mostly Tank Bigsby since, though Will Shipley has received a smattering of handles. Already banged up this season, Barkley is probably in real danger of missing Week 5 against the Jaguars in London.

Barkley pulled up on a strong run on the Eagles’ second series. He dropped the ball out of bounds and appeared to be in a heap of pain, hopping around on one leg before taking a knee. He spent some time in the tent before making his way slowly to the locker room. Barkley pulls up not infrequently, but this had the looks of an issue likely to end his afternoon. Tank Bigsby was the next man up, taking a huge third down loss. Will Shipley should mix in, as well, if Barkley’s afternoon is indeed through.

It’s a surprising twist after Shipley missed both of the first two practices of the week; he got in a full session today and seems likely to be more involved as a pass-catcher with DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert down. Even with that, he’ll struggle to find FLEX value against the Rams.