Who Should I Start? Justin Fields or Bucky Irving

Tuesday, July 29, 8:16 PM

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (toe) plans to practice with a plastic shield on his cleats for the next couple of weeks, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports. Fields is taking precautions after he suffered a dislocated toe on his right foot last Thursday. The 26-year-old, who returned to team drills Monday, said that the injury is "working its way back to 100%" That's a relief for both the Jets and fantasy managers, as so much of Fields' value depends on his elite mobility. The former Chicago Bear and Pittsburgh Steeler hasn't fared great as a passer since entering the league in 2021, but he has been a force on the ground.

Tuesday, July 29, 8:02 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was one of the biggest surprises from the 2024 draft class. He wrestled the lead-back role away from Rachaad White mid-season and rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns. Irving, who weighs under 200 pounds, told CBS Sports' Pete Prisco that he feels he can handle a large workload, but Prisco tweeted that he thinks the Bucs might try to limit him a bit to keep him fresh because of his small stature. While fantasy gamers would prefer for Irving to see all the work out of Tampa Bay's backfield, it is clear that the team still wants to give touches to White and Sean Tucker. That being said, Irving is still the lead back and showed last season he can be a dominant force at the running-back position. The team keeping him fresh is a positive in the long run and shouldn't deter fantasy managers from grabbing him as a low-end RB1 in upcoming drafts.