WillShipley

News: 2 days agoShipley caught one pass for seven yards in Sunday's 28-22 win over the Vikings.

Spin: Shipley was the second running back on the depth chart Sunday, seeing the field for eight offensive snaps compared to four for Tank Bigsby, with AJ Dillon a healthy scratch. Unless Saquon Barkley gets hurt, however, there won't be enough touches available for any other running back on the team to have fantasy relevance.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Shipley is entering his second NFL season in position to earn the primary backup role behind Saquon Barkley. With Barkley dominating the touches and Kenneth Gainwell second in line for work, the 2024 fourth-round pick was limited to 34 touches in 16 games as a rookie, 14 of which came with the starters resting in Week 18. Granted it was a small sample, but Shipley wasn't overly effective (2.7 YPC), which aligns with his underwhelming collegiate efficiency. Still, with Gainwell now in Pittsburgh, Shipley has an opportunity to lock down one of the league's best insurance jobs. Should Barkley miss time, the 23-year-old would likely see enough work behind an elite line in a high-scoring offense to allow RB2/flex production. Shipley makes for a fine late-round dart throw.