We had both D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell active in Week 1, and it was Gainwell who dominated the Eagles backfield. It wasn’t a huge surprise since he had the most experience with the team, and neither Swift or Rashaad Penny could be relied upon as the lead dog.
Well, Gainwell missed the Eagles’ Week 2 win over the Vikings, and it sure looks like a changing of the guard. I won’t go as far as saying Gainwell got Wally Pipp’d by Swift, but it would make sense that the Week 3 roles in the Eagles backfield will be very different compared to Week 1.
Gainwell was the Eagles’ lead dog in their run to the Super Bowl last season, and he started Week 1 with 14 carries for 54 rushing yards. Those 14 carries matched his career high, including the playoffs, having also gotten that many looks on the ground in the NFC Championship Game.
The third-year RB has primarily been a complementary player in the Eagles backfield in his career. His physical profile also doesn’t lend itself to being a bellcow.
This wager isn’t a bet that Swift has totally taken over the Eagles backfield. Instead, it’s assuming he’ll get the majority of the rushing work against a stout Buccaneers defense.
Last season, Gainwell played all 17 regular season games and cleared this number twice.
I wouldn’t play this too much further, though, only going down to 32.5 since Sean Koerner and Chris Raybon have Gainwell projected for 29 rushing yards.
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I have a hard time believing Swift is going to go from 28 carries to less than nine in one week. I know Gainwell is back, but the former Lions RB dominated Minnesota to the tune of 6.25 yards per carry and 175 rushing yards. You don’t stop feeding that guy.
Koerner has Swift projected for 12.6 rush attempts, and Raybon has him pegged for 12.2.
We’re betting on Philadelphia feeding the hot — and productive — hand at RB this week after it has had 10 days to prepare for this game.