Who Should I Start? Bucky Irving or Tetairoa McMillan

Tuesday, July 29, 8:02 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was one of the biggest surprises from the 2024 draft class. He wrestled the lead-back role away from Rachaad White mid-season and rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns. Irving, who weighs under 200 pounds, told CBS Sports' Pete Prisco that he feels he can handle a large workload, but Prisco tweeted that he thinks the Bucs might try to limit him a bit to keep him fresh because of his small stature. While fantasy gamers would prefer for Irving to see all the work out of Tampa Bay's backfield, it is clear that the team still wants to give touches to White and Sean Tucker. That being said, Irving is still the lead back and showed last season he can be a dominant force at the running-back position. The team keeping him fresh is a positive in the long run and shouldn't deter fantasy managers from grabbing him as a low-end RB1 in upcoming drafts.

Thursday, July 31, 1:09 PM

The early returns on Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan have "been glowing," a Panthers source told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. "He's been even better than advertised -- smooth, explosive, and already gaining trust from the QBs. You can't take your eyes off him at practice because he's making so many big plays." McMillan dealt with a minor leg injury in minicamp but is full-go now and is looking great after the Panthers took him eighth overall in April's NFL draft. The 22-year-old will be the team's X receiver right away as he looks to become one of quarterback Bryce Young's favorite target right away. McMillan will be competing for targets with Xavier Legette and veteran Adam Thielen. If Young takes another step forward in Year 3, McMillan could be a bargain with WR2 upside in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.