Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Bucky Irving

Wednesday, December 18, 4:42 PM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. McLaughlin opened the week as a non-participate but was able to upgrade to a limited participant on Tuesday. However, he was downgraded on Thursday and will set his sights on returning in Week 17 to face the Cincinnati Bengals. The 24-year-old left last weekend's game early with this injury. Before departing, McLaughlin tallied 21 yards on seven attempts. McLaughlin has struggled to find consistent attempts in the offense but has flashed some upside when given work, as he has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over his past four games. With McLaughlin ruled out, fantasy managers should expect Javonte Williams to see a majority of the opportunities out of the backfield.

Friday, December 20, 5:12 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (hip, back) is ready to go for Week 16 after getting through a full practice session on Friday. Irving was limited during the first two practice sessions of the week, but has been removed from the injury report after getting in a full session to end the week. Irving has rushed for over 70 yards in four of his last five games. Irving has two 100-plus yard games in two of his last three outings. The only thing holding him back is the fact that he remains in a committee with Rachaad White in the backfield. Despite that, Irving should still be able to produce high-end RB2 value for the Week 16 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.