Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Will Shipley

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.

Tuesday, July 29, 9:17 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is locked in a training-camp battle to emerge as the team's RB2 behind star Saquon Barkley. Shipley, who the team has been high on, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught all four of his targets for 35 yards last season as a rookie. Whoever wins the RB2 role in Philly is unlikely to see much work behind Barkley, who handled 345 carries last year. That being said, the Eagles' RB2 would set up as one of the top fantasy handcuffs available if Barkley were to miss time in 2025. If he ultimately wins the job, Shipley is worth a look as a late-round dart throw as a handcuff and a must-draft for the manager who uses an early pick on Barkley.