Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Cam Skattebo

Monday, January 13, 10:50 AM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was a complete non-factor in the team's 31-7 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday on wild-card weekend. Like most of the season, Denver's backfield was stuck in the mud and couldn't get anything going to control the game, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix leading the team with 43 rushing yards on four carries. McLaughlin, who had been the leader of a committee backfield late in the season, had only two rushing attempts for minus-two yards while catching his only target for no gain. It was a dismal end to the 24-year-old's second season in the NFL. He finished with 113 carries for 496 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and only one rushing touchdown in 16 regular-season games while adding 24 catches for 76 yards and two more TDs through the air. Denver will surely look to upgrade their backfield in the offseason to give more help to Nix in 2025.

Monday, May 12, 4:16 PM

SNY's Connor Hughes says not to be surprised if New York Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo ends up being the team's third-down back in 2025. Skattebo is a capable blocker and was very good as a receiver out of the backfield for Arizona State in 2024. The 23-year-old's dad was a receiver and used to drill him on the fundamentals of route-running, so he could already be the team's most talented pass-catching back. Hughes also writes that there were comparisons after the NFL draft of Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Skattebo recreating the team's old backfield of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Skattebo is stocky at 5-foot-9, but he's not the physical back that Jacobs was. The fourth-rounder has unique fantasy upside as a potential powerful workhorse down the road, but the presence of Tracy might make him fantasy relevant only in PPR leagues in 2025.