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Will Shipley needed one Eagles preseason game for fantasy football hype to grow
Cincinnati Bengals v Philadelphia Eagles - NFL Preseason 2025 Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

While there was plenty of attention to the Philadelphia Eagles' young receivers in their 34-27 preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week, there was equal buzz to the performance of second-year running back Will Shipley.

In fact, Bleacher Report writer Alex Kay was so impressed that Shipley was included in a list of five players who could be deep sleeper picks in fantasy football. Shipley is showing that he could earn a bigger role in the offense and potentially take more touches away from Saquon Barkley.

"In Week 1 of the preseason, Shipley gave a small glimpse of the type of contributions he's capable of when called upon. The second-year back racked up 48 yards on seven totes and tacked on a four-yard reception during his side's 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. His biggest highlight came on the opening drive, when he ripped off an impressive 38-yard gain.

Although A.J. Dillon is also in the running for backup duties behind Barkley, Shipley outperformed his counterpart and saw the bulk of snaps during the opening two series of the contest.

While Shipley still has to officially earn the RB2 job, he has the inside track following the preseason opener and should be considered a solid late-round addition due to rare combination of handcuff and potential standalone value."

Shipley is a potential game-changer for the Eagles in multiple ways

The great part about Shipley is that the vision of where to hit the holes when running the ball is improving dramatically. Once he does hit that hole, he can use his speed in the open field to pick up big yards.

Not only are his running abilities improving, but Shipley is dangerous in the passing game. He arguably has the best hands of the running backs, and during offseason workouts and training camp, Shipley was featured in the passing game a lot out of the backfield.

The Eagles have a significant problem on their hands with three talented running backs at the top of the depth chart. Barkley can do a little of everything for them, Shipley can run to the outside with his speed, and Dillon can be the power back who shouldn't be slept on with his catching abilities.

Last week was a good indication that Shipley has a strong chance to be the backup running back and should be featured more in the offense, similar to Kenneth Gainwell last year. If Barkley gets hurt, Shipley would be able to fill that position well with a heavy dose of Dillon as well.


This article first appeared on Inside the Iggles and was syndicated with permission.

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