Who Should I Start? Bucky Irving or Ray Davis

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.

Sunday, January 19, 5:15 PM

According to the team, Buffalo Bills rookie running back Ray Davis (concussion) is officially active for Sunday's playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. Davis sustained this concussion during their wild-card victory over the Denver Broncos. Davis was able to log three straight limited practice sessions and was able to turn the corner in time for this contest. Throughout the season, Davis has been deployed as a change-of-pace option in the Buffalo backfield, averaging a mere 6.6 attempts per game. Fantasy managers should continue to expect James Cook to operate as the lead back, with Ty Johnson operating as the No.2 option and Davis operating as a change-of-pace option. He is a high-risk flex option in DFS competitions, given his limited role in the offense.