Bucky Irving’s status has become one of the biggest mysteries in fantasy football this season. After a promising start, his unexpected absence has left managers scrambling to adjust lineups week after week. Tampa Bay continues to shuffle its backfield as fans await clarity on Irving’s situation.
The latest updates from the team shed light on what might be next for the young running back.
Bucky Irving Injury Update
Few injury situations have been more frustrating than Irving’s this season. Irving suffered foot and shoulder injuries in Week 4 but was never formally placed on the injured reserve, leading fantasy managers to hope his return to the field would be quick. That has not been the case.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coach Todd Bowles stated in his Monday press conference that Irving is not expected to return in Week 11 and that the running back has no timetable for his return. Irving still hadn’t taken contact on the shoulder as of last week, but did log a limited practice on Wednesday.
The Buccaneers’ backfield will continue to be split between Rachaad White and Sean Tucker for at least one more week.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek
Irving Fantasy Outlook
After Irving (foot/shoulder) was hurt in Week 4, the general idea was that he’d be good to go in Week 10 following the team’s bye, but that didn’t prove to be the case after an entire week of missed practices.
At this point, I’m trending in the direction of needing a game of proof health-wise before locking Tampa’s RB1 back into my lineup. Irving’s value in September was volume (90 touches in those four games helped offset 3.3 yards per carry), and it’s fair to think that a team with hopes of playing deep into January is cautious with their explosive 23-year-old RB.
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 11 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
Keep tabs and do your homework. Reporting around this injury has largely been strong, and it stands to reason that we will have a good idea of just how much work Irving will be counted on for ahead of his return, whenever that may be.
Until then, Rachaad White remains a viable RB2. There’s a world in which he hangs onto flex value for the week Irving returns, as his role in the pass game is a specific skill that holds tremendous value to an offense battling through various receiver injuries.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
