Kenny

Gainwell

There isn’t much to say here. Gainwell has topped out at five carries in a single game this year, and that came all the way back in Week 1. He hasn’t caught more than three passes in a game either, so even the PPR scam that he operated in Pittsburgh has been shut down. Gainwell isn’t in the fantasy conversation headed into Week 7 versus Carolina.

Gainwell wasn’t awfully involved in the Bucs’ game plan, but he took the field for almost as many routes as Bucky Irving and cashed in with a 10-yard score in the second half. It was his first touchdown as a Buccaneer. Gainwell is still averaging just 5.3 touches per game, but this performance could earn him more work going forward, specifically on passing downs. He will be a low-end RB4 for Week 5 against the Cowboys.

The Buccaneers are 0-3, so if trailing game scripts aren’t the ideal setup for a receiving specialist, we aren’t sure what is. Robinson said he would like to get Gainwell more involved, but also added that Gainwell has to earn those reps by being more productive. Robinson said he also wants to get RB3 Sean Tucker more involved during the same presser. It sounds like this backfield still belongs to starting RB Bucky Irving, who is dealing with a glute injury, but changes are at least being considered.

Robinson described Tucker as being “special with the ball in his hands,” and said that it’s on the coaching staff to find spots to mix him in. Whether this impacts starting RB Bucky Irving basically comes down to how and when — and if — the Buccaneers get Tucker involved. Taking a few snaps away from RB2 Kenneth Gainwell would be no big deal. Utilizing Tucker in the red zone would be consequential for Irving. Hopefully, Robinson provides more insight before his team’s Week 4 game against the Packers. Stay tuned.

Irving was spotted on the sideline for the majority of the fourth quarter. It’s possible that Irving just did something that irked Bowles rather than actually suffering an injury, but given how Irving’s injuries quickly manifested last season, we’re going to want to see that on the official injury report on Wednesday before we dial the status down to “unconcerned.” This news does seem to leave Kenny Gainwell as a lower-priority waiver claim.

Gainwell was once again inefficient with his limited opportunities. He operated as the team’s lead back, however, when Bucky Irving exited with a lower body injury. If Irving misses any time, Gainwell would profile as a top-24 PPR option, even if he loses touches to Sean Tucker. Tampa could be without Baker Mayfield (thumb) for a while. That would dampen the prospects of everyone in the offense.

Gainwell saw some pass-catching involvement once the Bucs fell behind Cleveland, but it was once again Bucky Irving who worked as Tampa’s clear No. 1 back, seeing 19 touches, including most of the early-down opportunities. Irving’s domination of the Bucs backfield through two weeks means Gainwell is nothing more than a bench stash in 12-team formats for now.

Shockingly, Gainwell got out-targeted 7-1 by Bucky Irving, though Pro Football Focus did chart Irving’s snaps advantage at a far more modest 35-26. Gainwell was out there. He simply wasn’t a focal point when it came to getting the ball. It was a bizarre contest with sacks and fumbles derailing the Bucs’ offense, but we would have thought this kind of comeback game script would have led to far more Gainwell receptions. Maybe it was just a fluke, but Irving is a safe RB2 heading into Week 2 while Gainwell is now a more uncertain FLEX.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said earlier this week that Tucker will be a game-time decision for Week 1 against the Bengals. His continued absence from practice is discouraging, but it bodes well for RB Bucky Irving and RB Kenneth Gainwell. Tucker is not expected to be a high-volume offensive contributor at this point, but adding even a couple of touches to each player’s workload is helpful

The starting offense played two series consisting of eight plays before giving way to the second unit, wherein Irving saw a carry on the first three plays from scrimmage before Gainwell entered the game. Gainwell received his lone carry on the following play, with neither back seeing another opportunity before departing. Previous talk surrounding this backfield hinted at more of a “1A-1B” situation than what was seen in their first preseason action, widening the range of outcomes of Irving in a fantasy setting for the coming season. That leaves potential room for upside considering Irving’s No. 55 overall aggregate ADP across all platforms, particularly considering how much the coaching staff has talked up his receiving chops this offseason. Consider Irving an interesting upside bet in the fifth round.