Fantasy Football Impact: Buccaneers Sign Kenneth Gainwell

Let’s dive into the fantasy football impact of the Buccaneers signing free agent running back Kenneth Gainwell.

Fantasy Football Impact | Buccaneers Sign Kenneth Gainwell

Kenneth Gainwell lands in Tampa Bay with a two-year deal to work alongside Bucky Irving. Gainwell is coming off a career-best season as the RB19 in fantasy points per game, finishing with 187 touches and 1,023 total yards. He was particularly impressive as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield, which is where he’ll likely make his money in 2026. Last year, among 47 qualifying backs, Gainwell ranked fifth in target share (14.9%) and receiving yards per game (28.6), 11th in yards per route run (1.60), and eighth in first downs per route run (0.076, per Fantasy Points Data).

Fantasy Rankings Update for Kenneth Gainwell

We saw Rachaad White continue to produce as a strong flex play in the Bucs backfield alongside Bucky Iriving. In 2024, while Irving was breaking out in Weeks 10-18, White was the RB25 in fantasy points per game. Gainwell is the more explosive player at this point in his career and could easily produce at a similar clip in 2026. Gainwell will likely fall into the RB3/4 category in 2026 fantasy football drafts, but he could easily crush that draft stock, especially in PPR formats.