Who Should I Start? Brian Robinson Jr. or Bucky Irving

Saturday, January 18, 11:40 PM

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. found the back of the end zone twice during their upset victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday evening. Robinson punched in two scores at the goal line, one in the second quarter and the other in the fourth. Robinson finished the evening with 77 yards on 15 attempts. His 15 attempts were the second-most on the team, only behind Jayden Daniels. He was not targeted in the passing game. After averaging an underwhelming 35.0 rushing yards per game over his previous five games, the Alabama product found his footing at the perfect time. During the first ten games of his season, he averaged a strong 64.0 rushing yards per game. Robinson carries RB2 upside heading into the NFC Championship.

Monday, January 13, 12:53 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries during Sunday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. He also caught two passes for an additional six yards through the air. In the loss, Irving averaged his lowest yards per carry since Week 9 (excluding his injury-shortened Week 14), which is not an indictment on his performance but rather a testament to just how well he's been running the football lately. He carved out the lead-back role once again on Sunday, registering 17 carries to Rachaad White's one. White has essentially been delegated to pass-catching situations, and even then, he continues to lose opportunities to Irving. It has been fascinating to watch this backfield dynamic develop throughout the season, with White slipping way down from the RB1 tier in fantasy football while Irving becomes one of the top running backs in dynasty fantasy football (and a mid-range RB1 in redraft leagues, too). Barring an unexpected change or addition within the Buccaneers' backfield, Irving should remain their primary ball carrier entering 2025.