Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Bucky Irving

Monday, September 16, 12:24 AM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin took a step back from his Week 1 involvement in the Week 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Denver on Sunday. After out-touching backfield mate Javonte Williams last week in the loss to the Seattle Seahawks, McLaughlin had only three carries for six yards in the 13-6 loss to the Steelers and wasn't targeted in the passing game. Meanwhile, Williams had 16 touches for 65 scrimmage yards. It was a step back for the 24-year-old second-year back, but he's still the clear RB2 in Denver, with Tyler Badie seeing only one carry for a 16-yard gain. McLaughlin is going to have much better games than this, obviously, but it's hard to justify using a roster spot on him in 12-team fantasy leagues as long as the Broncos' offense continues to struggle so much under rookie quarterback Bo Nix. McLaughlin will have very little standalone value in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sunday, September 15, 6:24 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving struggled to get much going on the ground during the Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions. Irving came out strong in the season opener with 62 yards on nine attempts. He wasn't able to have the same success on Sunday with only 22 yards on seven carries in the win. It was a quiet game for the Bucs rushing attack as lead back Rachaad White finished with 18 yards on the ground. Irving should continue seeing around seven or eight touches a game, but it probably won't be enough to start him in fantasy formats. Although, Irving is worth stashing in most formats due to his upside.