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Does Kenneth Gainwell have any fantasy value in Week 6 if Jaylen Warren returns?

Does Kenneth Gainwell have any fantasy value in Week 6 if Jaylen Warren returns?

DraftKings Fantasy Advice Season Long DFS Rail

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

The Steelers are coming off their bye week and they are likely to have Jaylen Warren ($5,400) back this Sunday vs. the Browns, after the back missed Pittsburgh’s last contest in Week 4 with a knee injury. Warren was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice and he should be a full go in his return this Sunday.

With Warren inactive in Week 4, Kenneth Gainwell ($5,400) got the spot start and the veteran flourished in the win over the Vikings, finishing with 31.4 FPTS. Gainwell rushed 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught all six of his targets for 36 yards. Gainwell logged 77.4% of the snaps and handled 76% of the running back carries for the Steelers, including five red zone carries. In the passing game, the back ran a route on 69% of his team’s drop backs and he garnered a target on an elite 35% of those routes.

All that being said, before Warren’s one-game absence, he was the Steelers’ clear No. 1 back. Prior to missing that contest, Warren was logging 60.5% of the snaps and handling 70.5% of the running back attempts for Pittsburgh, whereas Gainwell was logging 40.7% of the snaps and handling just 26.3% of carries. As receivers, Gainwell ran one more route than Warren, but Warren was the better target earner, seeing a target on 30% of his routes, while Gainwell obtained a target on only 21% of his. During this three-game stretch, Warren produced 14.8 FPTS per game, while Gainwell averaged 7.2 FPTS per game and didn’t crack double-digit FPTS once.

Gainwell likely earned himself some more touches going forward after his strong performance in Week 4, but Warren still needs to be viewed at the Steelers’ main back. This should be around a 60/40 split in favor of Warren this Sunday vs. Cleveland. Gainwell should still see around 10 touches, but in this poor spot, the veteran is a fringe FLEX play at best, and you likely have a better option on your bench to start over Gainwell. This season, the Browns are the highest graded defense on PFF and they are allowing the fewest yards per rush in the NFL (3.0). Additionally, this game carries a low 37.5-point total on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is the lowest total of Week 6 by three points.

Alex Hunter
Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player and sports handicapper, who has been a proud member of the DraftKings Network team since 2020. He is a data-driven analyst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has been in the sports content business for nearly a decade, covering the NBA, NFL and PGA TOUR. Alex is a diehard Boston Celtics fan, who loves to be on the golf course when he isn’t grinding lineups or producing content. For all of Alex’s work or if you need any lineup advice, be sure to follow him @Hunta512 on X.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.