Who Should I Start? Bucky Irving or Ashton Jeanty

Friday, September 12, 5:51 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving didn't have an ideal season opener last week. Irving had trouble finding any room to run as he rushed for 37 yards on 14 attempts in the win over the Atlanta Falcons. He was able to salvage his fantasy value by hauling in all four of his targets for eight yards and a touchdown. Despite the struggles, Irving will remain the lead back in Tampa Bay with Rachaad White only seeing two rushing attempts in the opener. The Bucs are committed to Irving and he'll continue seeing a heavy workload. Irving should remain in the RB1 conversation for the upcoming Monday night matchup against the Houston Texans.

Friday, September 12, 2:21 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty had a tough Week 1 against the Patriots, managing just 40 yards from scrimmage but salvaging his day with a three-yard touchdown run. Encouragingly, Jeanty dominated the backfield workload, logging 86% of snaps and handling 19 of the team's 22 rushing attempts, cementing himself as the clear lead back. Week 2 presents another challenge, as the Chargers limited the Chiefs to just 98 rushing yards in their opener. If Los Angeles sells out to stop the run the way New England did, the Raiders may lean more on Geno Smith and the passing game, potentially capping Jeanty's ceiling. Still, his elite usage keeps him firmly in the RB2 mix with touchdown upside.