Who Should I Start? James Conner or Bucky Irving

Thursday, May 29, 1:04 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) took part in voluntary organized team activities on Wednesday. "I'm ready," Conner said. "We ain't doing this forever." Conner injured his right knee in Week 16 of last year and had six touches before being pulled in Week 17. The Cardinals placed him on Injured Reserve for the Week 18 regular-season finale, but the 30-year-old veteran appears to be fine now and ready to go for the start of the 2025 season this fall. He racked up a career-high 1,518 scrimmage yards on 236 carries while catching 47 of 55 targets in 2024. It was the healthiest Conner had been in his career, so fantasy managers definitely should expect some more missed time given his age and physical running style. For now, he's still being considered a workhorse back in Arizona, but more injuries could give Trey Benson more of a role eventually.

Wednesday, June 18, 7:41 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving noted last week that he aims to improve heading into his second season. "But yeah, just always going back and looking at the film and looking at things that you can get better at and improve in, and also not getting satisfied and stuck in last year," said Irving. "Nobody cares about what you did last year. It's, 'What can you do for me now?'" The Oregon alum burst onto the scene last season with a PPR RB13 finish despite toting the rock just 207 times. He displayed an elite ability to break tackles and was a catalyst for Tampa Bay with the ball in his hands. With the Buccaneers returning all of their offensive line starters from 2024, Irving could be in for a massive year with a focus on aiming higher in his second season. He's one of the more exciting picks in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts.