Who Should I Start? Will Shipley or Tahj Brooks

Tuesday, July 29, 9:17 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is locked in a training-camp battle to emerge as the team's RB2 behind star Saquon Barkley. Shipley, who the team has been high on, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught all four of his targets for 35 yards last season as a rookie. Whoever wins the RB2 role in Philly is unlikely to see much work behind Barkley, who handled 345 carries last year. That being said, the Eagles' RB2 would set up as one of the top fantasy handcuffs available if Barkley were to miss time in 2025. If he ultimately wins the job, Shipley is worth a look as a late-round dart throw as a handcuff and a must-draft for the manager who uses an early pick on Barkley.

Friday, August 8, 10:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks ran for 26 yards off 10 attempts in Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles. He added one catch (two targets) for three yards. Chase Brown began the contest with the rest of the starters. While Brooks handled the bulk of the touches, he only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. Despite the subpar showing on Thursday night, the 2025 No. 193 overall pick has looked good throughout training camp and appears to have earned the trust of the coaching staff. However, with Brown expected to get the majority of the snaps out of the backfield in 2025, there could be little room for Brooks to remain consistently involved, even if the rookie manages to secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart over Samaje Perine. With the Bengals dropping their first game of the preseason, the team will look to get on track versus the Commanders on August 18.