Who Should I Start? D'Andre Swift or Bucky Irving

Saturday, September 6, 4:18 PM

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift enters his sixth NFL season, and his second in Chicago. Swift is looking to build on a solid 2024 campaign, where he averaged 11.4 half-PPR fantasy points per game and finished as the RB19. The Bears brought in former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who previously worked with Swift in Detroit in 2022. Swift is positioned for a ton of volume in Week 1, with backup running back Roschon Johnson (foot) questionable. Swift's role should keep him in fantasy lineups, but Week 1 presents a difficult test against a Vikings defense that surrendered the eighth-fewest half-PPR points to running backs last year. Swift's volume and scheme familiarity make him a steady option, though the matchup caps his ceiling. He should be viewed as a low-end RB2 for Week 1.

Saturday, September 6, 12:03 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving heads into 2025 with a chip on his shoulder and breakout potential. The former fourth-round pick says he still draws motivation from his draft-day slide: "I kept that anger and used it as motivation. I was pissed. I was waiting for three days, so just being there and seeing everybody get drafted, it lit a fire in me." That fire fueled an electric finish to his rookie year. From Week 13 on (excluding the Raiders game he exited early), Irving averaged 20 attempts for 123.3 scrimmage yards and scored five touchdowns in eight games, scoring 17.6 half-PPR fantasy points during that span. Now entering his second season, Irving is being hyped as a prime breakout candidate in 2025. With clear RB1 usage and the Buccaneers' offense leaning on his explosiveness, he'll look to pick up right where he left off when Tampa Bay opens against the Atlanta Falcons.