Who Should I Start? Kenneth Walker III or Bucky Irving

Thursday, December 26, 4:13 PM

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) was placed on the injured reserve. As a result, Walker will miss at least the next four contests, which will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. In addition, the Seahawks would have to advance to at least the NFC Championship to give Walker an opportunity to return to action. The Michigan State product sustained this injury during last weekend's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Zach Charbonnet to lead the backfield for the foreseeable future. When put in the starting role, Charbonnet has performed very well. During Weeks 14 and 15, Charbonnet averaged a stellar 25.9 PPR points per game. He should be viewed as a top-12 option on Thursday evening when he faces the Chicago Bears. Kenny McIntosh will move up to the No.2 spot and could see a slight increase in opportunities.

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.