Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Ray Davis

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.

Friday, September 6, 10:55 AM

When Josh Allen wasn't poaching touchdowns from James Cook in 2023, it was 33-year-old Latavius Murray. The veteran logged 17 carries inside the 10 and 11 inside the five-yard line. That role is now projected to be filled by rookie Ray Davis, a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky. The 24-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his senior season and has the size to finish runs in the red zone. He'll open the season behind James Cook and Ty Johnson on the depth chart. The backups will split a limited amount of touches in Week 1, depending on the situation. Without a healthy amount of opportunities, Davis will need to find paydirt to turn a respectable fantasy football debut. He's a bench stash until proven otherwise.