Who Should I Start? Jameson Williams or Bucky Irving

Friday, May 30, 12:41 PM

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that the team is expecting wide receiver Jameson Williams "to have a huge season." The Lions are expecting more from Williams after his breakout season in 2024 in which he caught 58 of his 91 targets for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (11 starts). The 24-year-old former 12th overall pick in 2022 out of Ohio State battled injuries in his first two NFL seasons and also was hit with a suspension before finally realizing his potential last year. He also had 11 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown as a rusher. While fantasy managers have come to love Williams' big-play potential in one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL, it's going to be hard for him to maintain significant targets in an offense that lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Detroit could emphasize the deep passing game more often, but Williams will be more of a boom/bust WR3/flex.

Thursday, June 26, 6:10 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, who is expected to see more opportunities in 2025, has improved his footwork and pass protection, according to head coach Todd Bowles. "He got to where he needed to be, but his footwork wasn't always the cleanest last season," Bowles says. "He's cleaned that up." Despite only "starting" three games in 2024, Irving finished as the RB13 in point-per-reception scoring in fantasy in his rookie season by racking up 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 207 rushing attempts. He added 47 receptions on 52 targets for 392 yards through the air. The 22-year-old makes up for his lack of size and athleticism with excellent vision and a knack for breaking tackles in open space. The primary concern with Irving as it pertains to being a true RB1 is the question of whether he can be a true workhorse back and withstand all the physical punishment between the tackles.