You started your draft with an elite WR1 or RB1 in the first round of your fantasy football draft. You're now on the clock in the second, and looking for an RB1/2 for your team.
You narrow it down to two backs who broke out last year and are looking to produce on the same level again in 2025.
Both Bucky Irving and Chase Brown are great options, but you can only choose one. Here is the complete breakdown between the two RBs and who we would lean towards in drafts.
MORE: Fantasy Football Draft Kit 2025
Should I draft Bucky Irving in 2025 fantasy leagues?
(FantasyPros ADP: RB9)
Irving exploded onto the fantasy scene in his rookie year. After being drafted as the RB53 off the board, he finished as the overall RB16 on the season.
In this sensational rookie outing, Irving was a tough runner for his size. He averaged 3.93 yards after contact and forced 62 total missed tackles.
There is some concern about what kind of role Rachaad White will play in this offense. But, it seems to go under the radar that Irving beat out White for the job because he was a better back.
Not to mention, from Week 6 on, Irving and White had five games where they each scored 10 or more fantasy points. Showing that they can both produce with one another.
However, the Bucs showed us how they viewed this backfield last season.
In 2024, Irving had seven games where he played more than half of the snaps for Tampa Bay. In these games, he absolutely dominated by averaging 127.3 yards from scrimmage and scored a whopping six total touchdowns.
What can’t Bucky Irving do??🔥 pic.twitter.com/40tfLDDbKe
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) August 16, 2025
Irving is no doubt the lead back and should get massive volume in a great Bucs offense. White still being there should not concern you with Irving as an individual, but it can help provide a tie-breaker between two backs.
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Should I draft Chase Brown in 2025 fantasy leagues?
(FantasyPros ADP: RB12)
Brown's RB11 finish does not even do justice to the unbelievable season that transpired. In the first three weeks, Brown saw just 19 total touches combined.
Then Week 4 happened, and Brown never looked back. In the Week 4 matchup against the Panthers, Brown received 17 touches for 92 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He finished the game with 22.2 fantasy points and finished as the overall RB5 for the week.
After this performance, through the rest of the season, Brown was the RB7 in fantasy points per game. His usage was out of this world and got even more egregious when Zach Moss went down.
After the Moss injury, Brown averaged 16.7 rush attempts per game and caught 4.2 passes off 4.8 targets per game.
No matter what strategy I choose it’s ALWAYS CHASE BROWN in 2nd
💥7 of final 8 weeks inside RB13
💥5.6 Targets/Game
💥20.6 FPPG (RB4)#WhoDey OC calls him a “Top-10 back” who they redesigned the run & passing game to showcase
👀 2025 CMC lite?
🧵ALL Draft Slots Strategies⬇️ https://t.co/8tvVesivPU pic.twitter.com/2vlio4Uqn0
— Dynasty Dad (@DynastyDadFF) August 17, 2025
Coming into this season, the competition Brown faces is similar to last year, very little in chief rookie handcuff Tahj Brooks. We can expect the usage rates to be similar for Brown, making him a must-draft player.
FANTASY RUNNING BACK RANKINGS: PPR RBs | Non-PPR RBs
Fantasy football tip: Draft Bucky Irving or Chase Brown?
Irving going off the board before Brown feels backwards. If I had to choose between these two backs, it would be Chase Brown every time.
While both of these RBs are great options and awfully close in our rankings, Brown's usage is unmatched.
The Bucs having White does help tip the scales towards Brown. Even after Irving took over, White still had productive weeks. There are simply no threats to Brown's high usage.
Combine that with a Bengals team that will need to consistently be moving the ball on offense, and there's not a safer option in round two than Brown.
MORE: 2025 fantasy RB sleepers