Who Should I Start? David Njoku or Bucky Irving

Friday, January 3, 1:24 PM

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cleveland Browns are placing running backs Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) and tight end David Njoku (knee) on Injured Reserve, ending their season. All three players were previously ruled out for Sunday's game, and this move opens up additional roster spots for the Browns on Saturday. As a result, fantasy managers should expect D'Onta Foreman and John Kelly to see most of the snaps in the backfield on Saturday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens. Jordan Akins will likely get the start at tight end. Ford opened the season as the starter with Nick Chubb sidelined and reclaimed that role for the past few weeks when Chubb's season ended due to a foot fracture. Njoku also batted injuries throughout the season but began to find his footing over his past five contests, averaging 15.4 PPR points. Foreman and Akins are viable plays in deeper formats this weekend and are high-floor options in DFS.

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.