Who Should I Start? Chase Brown or Bucky Irving

Saturday, January 4, 6:37 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (ankle) has been ruled out for the Week 18 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The plan was for Brown to workout pre-game and attempt to suit up for this contest. The Bengals have decided to play it safe and hold out Brown for the regular season finale. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury last week and is still feeling sore coming into Saturday's game. Khalil Herbert figures to see a bulk of the carries with Brown unable to play. Herbert is worth a look as a cheap DFS option for this weekend's slate.

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.