Analyze Kenneth Gainwell's matchup for week 10
Gainwell faces a middling Chargers run defense, but his 8-12 touch projection behind Jaylen Warren makes him a desperation FLEX who needs a TD to pay off.
The Chargers allow 4.2 YPC and rank in the bottom third of fantasy points to RBs, so the on-paper matchup is neutral-to-slight-positive. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh’s three-headed backfield and Warren’s return cap Gainwell at single-digit touches, turning an average matchup into a low-floor dice roll.
Since his 31-point London explosion in Week 4 when Warren was out, Gainwell has become a sporadic 6-9 touch, TD-dependent option, scoring in two of his last three active games but never topping 55 total yards.
Kenneth Gainwell’s 2025 value is being suffocated by a crowded Steelers backfield. After flashing elite upside with 19 carries, 134 scrimmage yards and two scores in Week 4, his usage cratered once Jaylen Warren returned. Pittsburgh now rotates three backs, leaving Gainwell with a 25-30 percent snap share and almost all of his fantasy output tied to red-zone roulette. The Chargers’ run defense is exploitable, yet game-script risk on the road and a projected 8-12 touch ceiling give him one of the lowest floors among ranked backs. Unless you’re ravaged by bye weeks or injuries, leaving him on the bench is the prudent move; if you absolutely need a swing play, understand you’re betting on a goal-line carry or broken screen, not volume-driven production.