Who Should I Start? James Cook or Bucky Irving

Tuesday, May 27, 1:04 PM

NFL Network' Cameron Wolfe reports that every Buffalo Bills player is present for organized team activities on Tuesday except for running back James Cook, who is seeking a new long-term contract extension. We're still in the voluntary portion of the offseason schedule, so Cook won't be fined, but the 25-year-old wants the team to reward him with an extension as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. The next change for Cook to show up will be for mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 10-12. It's unclear if Cook plans on holding out into training camp this summer if he doesn't have a new contract by then, but if he reports and is active for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season, he'll be Buffalo's clear RB1 after his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season and a league-high 16 rushing TDs in 2024. Fantasy managers should expect TD regression for the two-time Pro Bowler.

Monday, January 13, 12:53 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries during Sunday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. He also caught two passes for an additional six yards through the air. In the loss, Irving averaged his lowest yards per carry since Week 9 (excluding his injury-shortened Week 14), which is not an indictment on his performance but rather a testament to just how well he's been running the football lately. He carved out the lead-back role once again on Sunday, registering 17 carries to Rachaad White's one. White has essentially been delegated to pass-catching situations, and even then, he continues to lose opportunities to Irving. It has been fascinating to watch this backfield dynamic develop throughout the season, with White slipping way down from the RB1 tier in fantasy football while Irving becomes one of the top running backs in dynasty fantasy football (and a mid-range RB1 in redraft leagues, too). Barring an unexpected change or addition within the Buccaneers' backfield, Irving should remain their primary ball carrier entering 2025.