# Will Shipley start Week 5 with Saquon Barkley out and Tank Bigsby on IR?

**Yes, Will Shipley is the de facto Week 5 starter.** Here's the situation:

- **Saquon Barkley** — week-to-week with a hamstring strain, missed Wednesday practice. Likely out for the London game (from the [Saquon Barkley page]).
- **Tank Bigsby** — on IR with core muscle surgery, out minimum through Week 8 (from the [Tank Bigsby page]).
- **Will Shipley** — "now the last man standing for the Eagles' backfield," per the wiki. He played 29 snaps in relief (6 carries for 23 yards, 1 target, 15 routes run), and the Eagles view his pass-catching as critical to the game plan (from the [Will Shipley page]).

**The caveats:** The Eagles' offensive line is suddenly in shambles — Lane Johnson retired mid-season and Cam Jurgens was just traded — so the run blocking is a real concern. Jacksonville also has a stout run defense. The fantasy projections have Shipley as a **desperation flex play** — he'll get the lead-back volume, but the efficiency ceiling is low.

On *Fantasy Football Today*, they cautioned: *"It's really hard to count on Will Shipley suddenly having a large share of the goals just because Saquon Barkley is out. He won't be the only runner... That offensive line is battling"* — [hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ5IP3HP_mo&t=1333s).

**Bottom line:** Shipley starts, but temper expectations. He's a volume-based flex in deep leagues, not a smash play.

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Answered 2026-10-08 by ChatFFB — fantasy football answers from a live news wiki.
Source: https://chatffb.com/ask/will-shipley-start-week-5-with-saquon-barkley-out-and-tank-bigsby-on-i