Bucky Irving DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (hip, back) is expected to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The rookie left last week's game after just five touches and did not practice until Friday, but is apparently well enough to give it a shot against the Chargers. Prior to the injury, Irving had three straight top-10 finishes among running backs, but the difficult matchup against L.A. and the injury should have managers mostly evaluating Irving as a flex option in Week 15.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that rookie running back Bucky Irving (back, hip) will be questionable for the Week 15 game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Irving missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and wasn't seen on the field in the portion of Friday's practice open to the media, but he must have later returned to the field to draw the questionable tag. The 22-year-old played through a questionable tag in the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders but made it only 10 offensive snaps before leaving. The fact that Irving barely played last weekend and hardly practiced at all in the lead-up to Sunday's game against the Bolts makes him a pretty risky RB3/flex in fantasy, even though he's been the team's most productive back in 2024. If Irving is ruled out entirely, Rachaad White, who had two TDs last week, will become a plug-and-play RB2.UPDATE: Irving will be worked out before Sunday's game to see if he can go.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (back, hip) was working with a trainer at the start of Friday's practice and then went inside in the portion that was open to the media. It's entirely possible that Irving returned to practice after the media left, but after two straight DNPs on Wednesday and Thursday, the 22-year-old is firmly in danger of missing the Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Irving was played through a questionable tag in last Sunday's victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, but he made it only 10 offense snaps before leaving the contest and never returning. Rachaad White benefitted with more work out of the backfield and scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving). If Irving ends up being active against LA, he could have a reduced workload, making him a risky RB3/flex in a bad matchup in Week 15. Check back for his final status on Friday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (back, hip) wasn't seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, so it's looking like he'll open up Week 15 preparation with two DNPs. Irving missed the first two practices last week as well before being limited on Friday. The 22-year-old was questionable but was active for the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but he left the contest after playing only 10 snaps on offense. It led to a big day for Rachaad White, who would be in line for another bigger workload as Tampa's primary backfield option if Irving is limited again or out entirely this weekend versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Irving has been Tampa's most productive and efficient RB this year and is averaging 12.1 half-PPR points per game, but he's shaping up as a pretty risky RB3/flex in the first round of the fantasy playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (hip, back) was unable to suit up for Wednesday's practice. The rookie back only made it through four carries before exiting Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The MRI came back clean on Irving, so he shouldn't miss significant time. It's not shocking to see Irving sitting out of practice to begin the week, but fantasy managers shouldn't lose hope yet. If active, Irving should be considered a low-end RB1 for this weekend's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Otherwise, Rachaad White would have stronger streaming appeal if Irving is unable to play.