Bucky Irving Remains Primary Backfield Option In Season-Ending Loss
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.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (shoulder, shin) has been on another level down the stretch of the season. The rookie back has recorded three 100-plus rushing games over his final six games of the regular season. Irving has taken full control of the backfield in Tampa Bay heading into Sunday's Wild-Card game against the Washington Commanders. Last meeting, Irving rushed nine times for 62 yards during their first game against Washington in Week 1. That was back when Rachaad White was the lead back, but Irving has seen 15 or more carries in each of the last four games. Irving should remain a focal point on offense and is looking like a solid DFS option for this weekend. It's worth noting that Irving was on the injury report this week, but was able to practice in full every day. DFS players shouldn't be worried about him being limited at all.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving finished his rookie campaign on a high note during Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Irving rushed the ball 19 times for 89 yards and scored a touchdown during the win. He also added two receptions on five targets for -5 yards during the division clinching victory. The 22-year-old has literally run his way with the lead back job in Tampa Bay. Fellow back Rachaad White didn't even log in a touch during Sunday's win. Irving should remain a focal point of this offense heading into the postseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (shoulder, shin) is coming off another solid performance during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. The rookie back is dealing with a pair of injuries, but that didn't impact his performance on the field. Irving rushed 20 times for 113 yards while hauling in all four of his targets for 77 additional yards during the blowout win. He was on the injury report to begin the week, but has been removed and is good to go this weekend. The rookie back has now rushed for over 100 yards in three of his last five games. Irving has literally run away with the lead back job in Tampa Bay and looks to finish his regular season on a high note. He'll get a solid matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 18. Irving continues to impress and should remain on the RB1 radar for this weekend.
Bucky Irving Stays Limited In Thursday's Practice Session
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (shin, shoulder) was listed as a limited participant in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday. Irving continues to be listed on the team's injury report with various ailments, but he should be able to suit up in a must-win game in Week 18 versus the division-rival New Orleans Saints on Sunday. In his first 16 NFL games, Irving has really been impressive, especially when considering he's shared backfield touches with both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. The 22-year-old leads the team in carries (188), rushing yards (1,033) and touchdowns (seven) while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Irving has been the most productive Tampa RB in 2024 and will be a must-start RB1 for any fantasy managers still playing for a championship. Against the Saints on Oct. 13, Irving had 14 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (shin, shoulder) was listed as limited in the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday. Although Irving is dealing with two injuries leading up to the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival New Orleans Saints, he should be fine to play this weekend. The 22-year-old has been playing through injuries all year and has been the team's most productive back, posting 1,033 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 188 carries while also adding 45 receptions and 397 yards through the air in his first 16 NFL games. The Buccaneers need to win to secure the NFC South title and a playoff berth, so none of their starters will be rested. Irving continues to split backfield touches with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker, but he will be a high-end RB1 for fantasy managers in Week 18.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving was all over the place during Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. The rookie back rushed 20 times for 113 yards, which helped him surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Irving also hauled in all four of his targets for 77 additional yards through the air. This 100-plus yard performance marked Irving's third 100-yard performance in his last five games. The 22-year-old is literally running away with the lead back job in Tampa Bay. He'll be a RB1 for the regular season finale against the New Orleans Saints.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving has given fantasy managers something to smile about during the second half of the season. The rookie back has emerged as the top option in this backfield over the last few weeks. In fact, Irving has 68 rushing yards or more in five of his last six games. During that span, Irving has also found the end zone four times. He continues to split up the carries with Rachaad White, but that hasn't stopped Irving from producing solid fantasy value. He should continue to succeed in Week 17 against a Carolina Panthers defense that he rushed for 152 yards against in Week 13. Fantasy managers should go ahead and plug in Irving as a high-end RB2 for this weekend.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving rushed for 68 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 24 yards through the air. Although the Buccaneers were upset on the road by the Cowboys, Irving still had a good game, breaking several tackles and scoring a touchdown to keep his fantasy managers happy. Perhaps most importantly, he had 16 carries while Rachaad White had just three. It's safe to say that Irving has officially taken over as the Buccaneers' primary ball-carrier, and he'll continue to rank as a high-end RB2 option in fantasy football going forward. He should be started in all leagues when the Buccaneers take on the Carolina Panthers next week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (hip, back) is ready to go for Week 16 after getting through a full practice session on Friday. Irving was limited during the first two practice sessions of the week, but has been removed from the injury report after getting in a full session to end the week. Irving has rushed for over 70 yards in four of his last five games. Irving has two 100-plus yard games in two of his last three outings. The only thing holding him back is the fact that he remains in a committee with Rachaad White in the backfield. Despite that, Irving should still be able to produce high-end RB2 value for the Week 16 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Bucky Irving
• RB
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Buccaneers
