Eagles Reportedly 'Impressed' with AJ Dillon but Will Shipley a Deep Fantasy Target

One of the absolute worst-case scenarios for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 season would be an injury to superstar running back Saquon Barkley. It would also be an enormous blow for all of the fantasy football players who draft him in the first round this summer.

But it's always a possibility, and preparations should be made. In the event of the doomsday scenario, should you prioritize AJ Dillon or Will Shipley as his handcuff?

ESPN's Dan Graziano provided his thoughts on Monday, noting that "it'd be worth taking a flier on either one of these guys, but I'd guess Dillon would be the one to benefit the most with an increased workload (assuming he can keep himself healthy, which was an issue in Green Bay). In super-deep fantasy leagues, Shipley may be the guy to have if you're looking for a piece of the Eagles' offense and can't get Barkley, since Shipley is likely to have a role either way. But if Barkley had to miss time for any reason, Dillon would be worth picking up."

The expectation is that Shipley will serve as more of a third-down back for the Eagles this season, while Dillon will be the between-the-tackles option when Barkley needs a break.

Shipley, entering his second season, saw the field very sparingly in 2024, with Kenny Gainwell providing the change-of-pace option in the backfield. He had just 30 carries last season for 82 yards, adding four catches for 35 yards.

Dillon, meanwhile, missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to a neck injury. He rushed for 613 yards and two touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers in 2023. And Graziano noted that the Eagles have been "impressed with Dillon's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as run downhill with power."

The Eagles are paying Barkley a pretty penny to led the backfield in an age where teams generally don't allocate many financial resources to the position, so they didn't spend big on the depth behind him. If he's injured, a true time share would likely emerge, and Dillon may be the player who would garner more carries in that scenario. But it's still just training camp, and Shipley has plenty of time to prove himself as well.