Who Should I Start? Jahmyr Gibbs or Bucky Irving

Saturday, January 31, 5:09 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs posted another excellent season in 2025, recording 1,839 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns on 320 touches across 17 games played. While Gibbs' efficiency dropped slightly from his standout 2024 season, he still averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 5.7 yards per touch. The 23-year-old also set career-highs across the board as a receiver, finishing the year with 77 catches for 616 yards and five touchdowns on 94 targets. Perhaps most importantly for Gibbs' future outlook, he fully moved past fellow Lions running back David Montgomery on the team's depth chart. After the team's Week 8 bye, Montgomery played fewer than 40% of Detroit's offensive snaps in eight out of 10 contests. As long as Gibbs can stay healthy, he profiles as an elite fantasy running back for both 2026 and beyond.

Tuesday, February 10, 2:23 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was a disappointment for fantasy managers in 2025 while missing seven games because of shoulder and foot injuries. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had good things to say about Irving, though, and the 23-year-old could be a popular bounce-back candidate this fall with Rachaad White likely to leave in free agency. "I see Bucky in a very similar light [to Bijan Robinson] there with what he can do in the passing game, and there's not a run concept that he can't run," Robinson said. "So I'm excited to work with Bucky and know that there is a ton of meat on the bone in the passing game." Irving, a fourth-rounder in 2024 out of Oregon, rushed for 588 yards and only one touchdown on 173 carries in 10 games in 2025, but he proved to be worthy of lead-back duties after carrying the ball 207 times for 1,122 yards and eight rushing TDs in 17 games as a rookie. Don't sleep on Irving going into next season.