Who Should I Start? Rachaad White or Ollie Gordon II

Friday, September 5, 8:41 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is expected to take a backseat in the backfield in 2025. Last season, White began the season as the lead back, but ultimately lost the starting role to Bucky Irving. White saw his role in the offense decrease to the point where he only saw 20 touches over the final four games of the season. He finished last season with 613 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground. White also hauled in 51 receptions for 393 additional yards and six touchdowns through the air. The expectation is that Irving will do a majority of the ground work while White is the primary receiving back. That being said, White isn't going to offer a ton of fantasy value heading into the season opener versus the Atlanta Falcons. White should be viewed as a flex option in PPR leagues with Irving serving as the lead back now in Tampa Bay.

Saturday, September 6, 9:20 AM

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II is set to be the primary backup for the team when they open the season on Sunday afternoon against the Colts. Gordon had a strong preseason with 126 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with three catches for 48 receiving yards over his three preseason games. Gordon was a sixth-round pick of the Dolphins out of Oklahoma State, and he was the biggest running back in the draft class. He showed off his power running style this preseason and could grow into a nice complement and change-of-pace option behind De'Von Achane. Jaylen Wright (knee) has been ruled out for Week 1, leaving Gordon as the primary backup behind Achane. Gordon is the RB41 in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 1, making him one of the best backups on the board, but a long-shot starter in most standard formats. He's definitely an exciting rookie to watch in Week 1, but his role isn't big enough to start him as a FLEX play quite yet.