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.