Tampa Bay Buccaneers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White continued his struggles on the ground, but was able to put together a strong fantasy performance last week. White rushed 10 times for 40 yards, but hauled in six receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Bucs are using a three-man committee which makes it difficult for any of these backs to have reliable fantasy value. However, White should be the best choice out of the trio due to his ability in the receiving game. The Bucs are going to be without wide receivers Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) for the foreseeable future. That means, White will probably see more chances in the receiving game going forward. Fantasy managers in PPR formats might be able to trust White as a RB1 for the upcoming matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. White rushed for a season-high 72 yards against Atlanta during their last meeting.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has been an early season MVP candidate with his performance on the field. Last week, Mayfield completed 31-of-45 passing attempts for 370 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Bucs have taken a huge hit to their offense with both Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) sidelined for the foreseeable future. It could be tough for the Bucs offense to continue succeeding like they were with Sterling Shepard and Jalen McMillan as their top wideouts. The expectation is that running back Rachaad White and tight end Cade Otton see more involvement in the passing game. However, there's a good chance that Mayfield struggles to put up the same type of fantasy value without his top two passing options. Mayfield should be considered a low-end QB1 for the Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tampa Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) is in play to suit up on Sunday according to Brianna Dix. The 22-year-old was also spotted at practice on Friday after sitting out on Wednesday and Thursday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during the weekend as he will likely carry an injury designation into their tilt against the Atlanta Falcons. If Irving is able to suit up, the Buccaneers will likely operate in a three-man backfield situation which would make both him and Rachaad White low-end RB2s with Sean Tucker serving as an RB3. White would have the higher floor given his ability to succeed as a pass catcher. If Irving is unable to play, then both White and Tucker will share the backfield with White seeing the majority of the work.

The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud reports that although Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) missed practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday, he's trending well. The next two days will be crucial for Irving when it comes to his status for the Week 8 divisional game against the Atlanta Falcons. Irving has been Tampa's most productive back to this point in the season in his first year in the NFL, but his current injury and a bad matchup against Atlanta have his fantasy stock on the decline for this weekend. The 22-year-old will remain involved in a three-man committee backfield along Rachaad White and Sean Tucker when he's healthy, limiting his fantasy appeal as an upside RB3/flex play for the foreseeable future. If Irving is out or limited against Atlanta, Tucker would become a much more intriguing flex option for fantasy managers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) was absent from a second straight practice this week on Thursday for a toe injury that could definitely impact Sunday's Week 8 contest against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. Irving's status will likely come down to whether he can practice on Friday. If he cannot, he'll likely be ruled out, which would pave the way for Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to split backfield touches on Sunday. Fantasy managers that have been using the 22-year-old Irving in recent weeks need to start formulating a backup plan, while Tucker wouldn't be a bad waiver-wire pickup as a streaming flex play if Irving is out. In Week 6 with White inactive, Tucker had a season-high 14 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown and also caught three passes for 56 yards and another score.