Pat Kerrane said he has basically stopped drafting Will Shipley at his current 168 ADP because the rookie offers nothing but contingent value. Kerrane noted he was at 24 % exposure in Underdog’s Big Board when Shipley cost far less, but he is now down to 4 % because the market is "paying up for knowledge that Shipley’s the number-two." In a game where late-season upside decides everything, Kerrane wants backs who can carve out touches without an injury—"I’m trying to find the next Kyren, not just hold a lottery ticket." Shipley’s profile is entirely binary: if Saquon Barkley stays healthy he is a weekly zero, making the new sticker price a poor risk-reward bet.

Pat Kerrane said he has backed off Will Shipley—down to 4 percent exposure—because the rookie’s ADP has climbed into the 160s despite offering virtually no stand-alone touches behind Saquon Barkley. Kerrane prefers late-round backs who can force their way onto the field like Kyren Williams did last year, arguing Shipley is a binary bet whose only path is a Barkley injury. In an 18-round Best Ball format geared toward late-season upside, Kerrane believes tying up a roster slot in a probable zero is sub-optimal when wide-open situations such as Carolina’s or Arizona’s still produce backs with both contingent and emergent value. He will mix Shipley if the price falls, but at current cost he is directing that capital to rookies with clearer breakout pipelines such as RJ Harvey and Bachel Tootin.

Eisenberg labeled rookie Will Shipley a deep sleeper worth one of your final picks. Saquon Barkley logged 480 touches during last year’s 2,000-yard campaign, and Eisenberg reminded listeners that rushers with that workload historically decline or get hurt the following season. If Barkley misses time, Shipley—assuming he beats out AJ Dillon, who is coming off a season-long neck injury—would step into a high-volume Eagles role behind the same elite offensive line. The potential for that kind of plug-and-play workload makes Shipley a classic late-round handcuff with league-winning upside.

Koerner called Will Shipley a clever add to Jalen Hurts–A.J. Brown–Dallas Goddard builds. If Saquon Barkley misses time, Shipley would smash his ADP while simultaneously forcing Hurts to throw more, pumping extra volume into Brown and Goddard. That injury-contingent correlation allows one lineup to capture multiple ceiling scenarios from a single offense, exactly the kind of asymmetric upside he targets in best ball.

Jason Moore said he is stashing rookie Will Shipley at the very end of drafts because beat reporters believe the fourth-rounder has already jumped A.J. Dillon on the depth chart to become Saquon Barkley’s primary backup. Kenneth Gainwell is gone, and Dillon is reportedly fighting for a roster spot, leaving Shipley—5'11", 209 lbs, 4.46 speed and a productive three-year resume at Clemson—as the next man up behind a 28-year-old starter coming off 482 total touches. Moore called Shipley a must-have contingency play in deeper season-long leagues and an ideal late-round best-ball flier who could inherit league-winning volume if Barkley misses time.

Best Ball Guy urged drafters to grab Will Shipley every time he slips into the late rounds. He noted that Evan Silva—"the ultimate boomer redraft bro" in his words—has Shipley ranked 120th overall in managed leagues, a signal the industry is too low on him in best ball. Philadelphia beat writers already say Shipley will have weekly involvement, effectively absorbing the Kenneth Gainwell package that produced 75 carries and 15 receptions last year. That workload alone makes him playable, but the kicker is that he is also the direct backup to Saquon Barkley. In Best Ball Guy’s view, drafters are spooked by Barkley’s presumed health risk yet are missing the arbitrage: if Barkley does go down, Shipley steps into a top-five offensive line with Jalen Hurts creating cavernous rushing lanes. Even if Barkley stays upright, 90–100 touches are on the table, giving Shipley the mix of floor and nuclear upside he craves in the double-digit rounds.

Greg Brainos endorsed Will Shipley as a must-grab late-round running back, arguing the rookie is “very, very, very clearly” the Eagles’ RB2 after the team traded Kenneth Gainwell and left only aging A.J. Dillon behind Saquon Barkley. Brainos emphasized that Barkley handled a massive workload last year—freeing 260 touches in an offense that finished sixth in red-zone rush rate—so any injury or managed-snap scenario creates immediate fantasy relevance for Shipley. He believes the staff’s decision to move on from Gainwell signals real trust in Shipley’s three-down skill set and pointed out that Philadelphia invested a Day-2 pick in an interior lineman to keep the run game humming. The size of the gap between Shipley and the next back on the depth chart makes him one of the highest-leverage handcuffs in Best Ball Mania drafts.

Chris Raybon said Will Shipley is one of his favorite last-round darts in best ball and a must-stash handcuff behind Saquon Barkley. Raybon reminded listeners that the Eagles spent a Day-3 pick on Shipley, let Kenneth Gainwell walk, and are only carrying A.J. Dillon – who missed all of last year with a neck injury – plus a handful of satellite backs. He expects Shipley to be the clear lead if Barkley misses time, projecting a majority of snaps and pass-down work while Dillon siphons a handful of early-down and goal-line carries. Raybon noted Barkley is on the wrong side of 27, logged 482 touches between regular season and playoffs, and historically misses games late in the year. Even when Barkley is healthy, Shipley can pick up “garbage-time” touches whenever the Eagles are blowing teams out, giving him usable spike weeks that best-ball drafters never have to time. Raybon called the rookie an “anti-fragile” pick who usually lasts until the final round despite top-40 contingent upside at running back.

Rich Rebar said Eagles rookie Will Shipley should not be treated as a pure hand-cuff because beat writer Jimmy Kempski reported the coaching staff plans to open the season with Shipley in the ‘Kenny Gainwell role.’ Rebar translated that to real, bankable snaps in hurry-up, four-minute and late-game situations rather than the usual stash-and-pray workload. In a pass-heavy Kevin Patullo offense that still ranked sixth in RB target share last year, even a Gainwell-sized slice (roughly 23–25% snap rate and 2–3 targets per game) would give Shipley weekly usability while keeping an explosive contingency path if Saquon Barkley were to miss time. That combination of a modest floor and break-glass ceiling makes the rookie a worthwhile dart once the Tier-1 handcuffs dry up in Round 15-16 of Best Ball drafts.

Evan Silva argued that Will Shipley is one of the premier handcuffs in Best Ball after Philadelphia shipped Kenneth Gainwell out of town, clearing the deck behind Saquon Barkley. If Barkley misses time—as he has in three of the past five seasons—Silva expects Shipley to slide into an every-down role in an offense that fed its RB1 21.0 touches per game last year. Even without injury, Silva anticipates Shipley seeing late-game carries and mop-up targets in potential Eagles blowouts, enough to provide the occasional usable week while holding massive contingency upside.

Evan Silva pushed Will Shipley up to 115th overall, calling him a must-draft RB4 who offers both weekly flex utility and massive contingent upside. Silva noted the Eagles ‘cleared the deck’ by letting Kenneth Gainwell walk, leaving only A.J. Dillon— whom Silva dismissed as “not good at the game”— plus a handful of UDFAs behind Saquon Barkley. Barkley handled 482 touches last season, and Silva reminded listeners that sheer volume is the single strongest predictor of running-back injury. Beat reporter Jimmy Kempski told Rich Hribar that, if Barkley goes down, it would be “mainly Shipley with Dillon spelling him,” echoing Silva’s own projection of 65-70 percent of the work for the rookie. At 5-11, 206 with proven receiving chops from Clemson, Shipley profiles as the two-minute and long-down-and-distance back from Day 1 and could be a top-15 fantasy RB in games Barkley misses.

Jon Warner recommended scooping Will Shipley in the final rounds as a classic "handcuff-plus" back. Warner believes Kenneth Gainwell’s departure creates immediate passing-down work for Shipley, giving him sneaky standalone value even before an injury to starter D’Andre Swift. Shipley’s 102 career college receptions and 9.3 yards per catch at Clemson suggest he can fill the third-down role from Day 1, while his 4.46 forty shows enough burst to threaten chunk plays. Warner likes adding Shipley to otherwise stable RB rooms in Eliminator contests, reasoning that you bank safe touches early and still hold contingent upside if Swift misses time. He emphasized that the market has not adjusted to Gainwell’s exit, so Shipley’s current 16th-round ADP underprices both his weekly floor and his clear path to 15-plus touches should Swift go down.

Colm Kelly justified spending a late pick on rookie Will Shipley even after loading up on other backs. Colm sees virtually zero stand-alone value while Saquon Barkley is healthy but emphasized that Shipley’s 4.39 speed and 76-catch college resume make him an instant three-down replacement if Barkley breaks down. The Eagles averaged 29.6 running-back PPR points per game last year and return the entire offensive line, so any multi-week Barkley absence would turn Shipley into a potential league-winner right when fantasy playoffs start. Colm admitted rookie-heavy backfields can leave early-season holes, yet he felt comfortable adding Shipley as RB6 because Jordan Mason and Chubba Hunter already provide short-term floor. The pick is a classic “nothing now, everything later” dice roll he loves in Best Ball Mania.

Best Ball Guy said that anyone passing on Saquon Barkley should offset the risk by rostering 15-20 percent Will Shipley. He’s personally “fading Saquon” but grabbing Shipley everywhere because the rookie is the clearest contingency play in Philadelphia’s backfield. If Barkley misses time or underperforms, Shipley’s profile and direct depth-chart placement could deliver league-tilting weeks at a fraction of the cost. The tout framed Shipley as insurance with real standalone value that keeps Eagles stacks intact while freeing early-round equity for other bets.

James Koh spotlighted Will Shipley as the true backup to Saquon Barkley— not A.J. Dillon, whom beat writer Jimmy Kempski thinks may be cut. Barkley piled up a ridiculous 482 touches in 2024 and has missed three-plus games in two of the last three seasons on top of an ACL tear. Koh doubts Barkley clears 12 games. Shipley, the 5'11, 206-pound Clemson product, blazed a 4.39 forty and posted a 38.5-inch vert that shows elite burst and lateral quickness. His best trait is polished receiving chops, making him an instant three-down fill-in who could “save your fantasy season” if Barkley’s mileage finally bites back.

Colm Kelly endorsed Will Shipley as a final-round dart despite conceding the rookie offers little standalone value while Saquon Barkley is healthy. Barkley just helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl, so Colm expects the team to ride him early and often. Still, Shipley flashed enough in late-season mop-up duty to convince Colm the staff will trust him if Barkley misses time. On a roster that already invested heavily at wide receiver and secured early-season floor with veterans like Jordan Mason, Shipley’s contingent upside is exactly what Colm wants from his RB6.

Davis Mattek highlighted Will Shipley as the perfect contingency back for extreme zero-RB constructions. Shipley slots behind Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey in the Eagles’ offense, meaning an injury to either top-10 workhorse would instantly deliver 15-plus touches to the rookie while eliminating a huge chunk of opposing best-ball entries. Mattek’s broader strategy is to "draft the backups of the elite backs" because a zero-RB roster needs two things to happen simultaneously: (1) your late backs score points and (2) the first-round studs on rival teams miss time. Shipley checks both boxes—explosive enough to rip off "14 points a game for a month" yet cheap enough to stash as RB5/6. Mattek believes that asymmetric payoff is far more valuable than spending the same pick on a committee back who can’t crest 12 points without perfect game script.

Best Ball Guy doubled down on Will Shipley as a Round-15/16 steal, this time highlighting his all-around skill set. After re-watching every Shipley snap from last season, he praised the rookie’s pass protection and route running, noting camp reports that coaches already view him as a "stud." Because Philadelphia seldom targets backs, Shipley’s ability to earn designed routes could carve out early-season touches and secure hurry-up snaps—valuable in half-PPR scoring where one long reception swings a week. He said he is "totally fine" clicking Shipley over one-dimensional options like Tank Bigsby or Tyler Allgeier, and will keep scooping him as an upside RB4 behind anchor backs.

Best Ball Guy said Will Shipley is an auto-click in the late rounds because of a unique Week-17 path to volume. His logic: Philadelphia is good enough to be 16-1 or 15-2, so there is a legitimate chance Nick Sirianni rests Saquon Barkley and the other starters for the finale. If that happens, Shipley would handle the bulk of the backfield touches in the BBM6 finals, giving drafters a cheap, standalone ceiling game that very few opponents can replicate. The rookie also has contingency value if Barkley misses time earlier in the season, but Best Ball Guy stressed the "backup-in-Week-17" angle as the real tournament winner.

Jon Warner labeled Will Shipley the best pure handcuff value on the board after Philadelphia let long-time favorite Kenneth Gainwell walk. Warner reminded listeners that Nick Sirianni once defended Gainwell as the clear RB2, so moving on signals real confidence in the rookie. With Saquon Barkley projected for another 430-plus touch workload, Warner expects Philadelphia to spell him more than New York did, giving Shipley weekly change-of-pace snaps plus nuclear upside if Barkley misses time. He views Shipley’s dual-threat skill set—over 100 college catches—as a perfect scheme fit for Philly’s RPO heavy attack and an easy bring-back in Bills stacks when Buffalo and Philly meet in Week 15 Best Ball playoffs.

Erik Beimfohr highlighted Will Shipley as a priority late-round stash, already holding 19% exposure in Best Ball Mania. With the Eagles letting long-time favorite Kenny Gainwell walk and replacing him only with AJ Dillon—who Beimfohr flatly calls "bad"—Shipley is a clear No. 2 to Saquon Barkley. Beimfohr sees multiple outs to fantasy relevance: (1) an outright league-winning scenario if Barkley misses time; (2) weekly change-of-pace touches as Philadelphia tries to protect an older Barkley after another deep playoff run; and (3) red-zone opportunities on an offense that led the NFC in plays inside the 10 last season. Shipley’s fourth-round draft capital, three-down college profile, and plus receiving chops make him the exact chaos-driven swing Beimfohr wants in best ball, especially when a single Barkley absence in Weeks 15-17 could catapult Shipley into tournament-deciding lineups.

Tom Strachan argued Will Shipley is an underrated flier because historical data shows RBs coming off 400-plus touches—or 1,500 rushing yards—often underperform the following year, a direct reference to Saquon Barkley. Shipley is the clear RB2 in Philly with only A.J. Dillon behind him, and Dillon missed all of 2024 with a neck injury and has looked sluggish for years. The Eagles let Kenneth Gainwell walk, signaling confidence in Shipley. Though his NFL sample is limited to garbage-time playoff bursts of 16 and 57 yards, Strachan thinks the coaching staff values him enough that he could inherit Barkley’s role if the veteran wears down.

Chris Raybon spotlighted Will Shipley as the real Saquon Barkley handcuff despite some depth charts listing A.J. Dillon second. The Eagles spent a fourth-round pick on Shipley last year, then jettisoned Kenny Gainwell and added only Dillon—who Raybon called a tush-push specialist—to preserve continuity. Barkley, now 28, handled a career-high 482 regular- and post-season touches in 2023; Raybon reminded listeners that running backs average 2-3 missed games and age-based decline spikes past 27. Shipley flashed burst with a long playoff run and operates behind one of the league’s best lines, so any Barkley absence projects 15-plus touches and goal-line work. Even without injury, Nick Sirianni has historically rotated backs enough for weekly Best Ball usefulness. At a near-free Round-16 ADP, Shipley offers both standalone flex value and league-winning contingency upside for managers who faded RB early.

Greg Brainos tagged rookie Will Shipley as a priority contingent bet in the final rounds. Shipley’s pass-catching chops (78 receptions in three Clemson seasons) align perfectly with Kellen Moore’s preference for outlet routes, and Brainos expects the Eagles to run 60–40 pass splits with Saquon Barkley handling early downs. That leaves Shipley as the preferred hurry-up and garbage-time back. Brainos also highlighted Philadelphia’s Weeks 15–17 slate—Saints, Steelers, Commanders—as matchups where the Eagles could score 30-plus, creating fourth-quarter mop-up opportunities. While Shipley has little standalone value while Barkley is healthy, Brainos thinks he becomes an instant top-20 RB if Saquon misses even one week, making him an ideal RB6 for tournament builds hunting for late-season eruption.

Erik Beimfohr called Will Shipley the single most mis-priced player in best-ball drafts. The Eagles’ depth chart is Saquon Barkley, Shipley and A.J. Dillon after Kenny Gainwell’s departure, leaving Shipley locked into roughly 20 % of snaps from Week 1 in an offense that ranked top-five in red-zone rush rate under Kellen Moore. Beimfohr argued that contingency value is elite: Barkley has missed 21 games in six seasons, and if the 102-overall back sits, Shipley would inherit a bell-cow workload behind Philadelphia’s top-three offensive line. He compared the Clemson rookie’s upside favorably to Trey Benson—who costs six rounds more— and is drafting Shipley in every league until the market corrects what he dubbed "silly" Round-17 pricing.

Rob Coakley grabbed Will Shipley in the 14th and said the rookie will be "flirting with the 10th" before long. Gainwell’s departure thins the depth chart, and he noted that even workhorse Saquon Barkley posted a smaller snap share than most people realize last year, opening the door for Shipley to carve out immediate rotational touches plus elite contingent upside if Barkley misses any time. Because Drafters’ cumulative scoring rewards every regular-season week equally, Coakley prioritizes backs who can score usable weeks without waiting on an injury. He is happy to reach a couple rounds ahead of current ADP to stock up before the July steam hits.

When chat asked about Will Shipley falling to Round 15, Rob Coakley warned that the rookie running back is another ‘massive draft-day winner’ who will not stay this cheap. He advised viewers to begin pulling Shipley up the board—potentially two or three rounds ahead of ADP—because once drafters digest his favorable landing spot and versatile skill set, he expects aggressive rooms to scoop him long before the 15th. Coakley emphasized that paying a small premium now is worthwhile if it locks in exposure before the inevitable summer ADP surge.

Rob Coakley doubled down on Will Shipley, saying the rookie remains a "massive draft-day winner" and should not make it past Round 12 much longer. He cited the Eagles’ decision to move on from Kenneth Gainwell plus Saquon Barkley’s 2024 snap rate—"not quite what you would think"—as proof Shipley will mix in immediately and carries elite contingent upside if Barkley misses time. Coakley expects Shipley to be "flirting with the 10th round" once drafters internalize that weekly floor/ceiling combo and is happily paying a 14th-round premium now before the market catches up.

After watching Will Shipley slip to Round 15 in his draft, Rob Coakley said managers must “start pulling him up” because Shipley, like Lloyd, was a massive post-draft winner. Coakley noted that waiting for the rookie to fall is no longer realistic in sharper rooms—Shipley has a clean runway to the Eagles’ change-of-pace and pass-catching role, and scarcity at running back in the double-digit rounds means the price will only rise. He recommended proactively scooping Shipley in the late-12th to early-14th before the broader best-ball market adjusts.

Erik Beimfohr labeled Will Shipley the single best value on Underdog right now. The former third-round pick is locked in as Saquon Barkley’s only real backup after Kenny Gainwell’s exit, and Barkley has missed 21 games since 2019. Shipley quietly saw 24% of snaps in the NFC Championship blowout and flashed 4.45 speed with 36% college reception share, making him a perfect fit for Kellen Moore’s screen-heavy attack. Beimfohr expects Shipley to log at least 25–30% snaps weekly in positive game scripts and have league-winning upside if Barkley’s health falters. He argued Shipley should be going roughly eight rounds earlier—comparable to how drafters priced Elijah Mitchell behind Christian McCaffrey— and urged managers to hoard shares before summer ADP corrections hit.

Erik Beimfohr called Will Shipley one of his favorite late-round running backs on DraftKings. The Eagles spent a third-round pick on Shipley, let Kenneth Gainwell walk, and declined to add more backfield competition— clear signals they view him as the primary backup to Saquon Barkley. Shipley flashed as both a rusher and pass catcher in limited playoff work, and his collegiate receiving chops (27 catches in his final Clemson season) fit perfectly with Philadelphia’s full-PPR upside. Beimfohr noted that drafters inexplicably let Shipley fall behind names like Jaden Blue despite Shipley’s superior draft capital, team confidence and immediate contingent value. If Barkley misses time, Shipley could step into 15-plus touches and valuable goal-line work on an elite offense, giving him true week-winning potential at his current price.

Beimfohr flagged Will Shipley as one of the best late running-back clicks on DraftKings. The rookie went in Round 3, not Round 7, and the Eagles let Kenneth Gainwell walk while declining to add any other backs—clear evidence the staff trusts Shipley as Saquon Barkley’s direct understudy. He reminded drafters that Shipley flashed on limited snaps during Clemson’s playoff push and owns a pass-catching resume (85 receptions over his college career) tailor-made for full-PPR scoring. If Barkley misses time, Shipley projects for every high-value touch on an offense that already finished top-10 in red-zone trips. Even with Barkley healthy, Shipley can carve out a Gainwell-plus role that returns value well before his current 17th-round sticker price.