Who Should I Start? Bucky Irving or Cam Skattebo

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.

Thursday, May 22, 10:11 PM

The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll wonders if New York Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo can usurp Tyrone Tracy Jr. for the RB1 job in 2025. It's possible, but Carroll goes on to say that it's more realistic that Skattebo, the team's fourth-rounder out of Arizona State this year, jumps Devin Singletary for the RB2 role to begin his rookie season. Skattebo offers a more physical complement to Tracy's speed and is already a fan favorite in the Big Apple because of his physicality and underdog mentality. For now, Carroll is giving the slight edge to the veteran Singletary well before training camp, but it's very possible that Singletary falls further down the depth chart after losing the starting gig to Tracy in 2024. Skattebo makes up for his lack of speed with plenty of power and explosiveness. Don't be surprised if he becomes New York's primary pass-catching back early on in 2025.