Who Should I Start? Bucky Irving or Tyrone Tracy Jr.

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 5, 6:45 PM

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 59 yards on 14 carries during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He also caught two passes for an additional seven yards through the air. The rookie out of Purdue was solid in his first pro season, but he did endure a rough stretch with just 3.9 yards per carry over his final five games. All in all, Tracy finished as a mid-range RB3 in fantasy football, amassing 839 rushing yards, 284 receiving yards, and six total touchdowns. The Giants may look to bring in some running back competition this offseason, but Tracy has an early leg up on the starting job for 2025.