Sorting out running back depth charts is always one of the ongoing challenges of every fantasy football campaign.
Three rookies were seen as viable upside swings in preseason fantasy drafts at the position, but have their values changed after their career debuts in Week 1?
Which RB Should You Choose from Bucky Irving, Trey Benson, and Blake Corum in Week 2?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Bucky Irving is the player to start. His projected 5.9 points include 30 rushing yards, one catch and nine receiving yards. That outperforms the consensus projection for both Trey Benson (5.7 points) and Blake Corum (5.1 points).
Due to Irving’s superior snap share and flashes of big-play ability in comparison to the other rookie RBs in Week 1, my ranking aligns with this consensus.
Irving’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Irving was not one of the rookie RBs getting the headlines this summer, but quietly, there was always a lot to like about his situation. In Week 1, he exploded onto the wider scene, leading all rookie running backs with 76 scrimmage yards from his 11 touches. He demonstrated explosiveness in the outing, gaining at least seven yards on five of his nine rush attempts.
KEEP IT A BUC 💰
📺: #WASvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/1OJTu3Ayp5
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 8, 2024
Irving played 20 of the 61 offensive snaps for the Buccaneers last week. Meanwhile, starting RB Rachaad White played 42 of the snaps, which would have ranked as his third-lowest last season. The biggest question going forward is whether Irving’s opportunities were a product of a positive game script or a sign of things to come.
Irving had just four touches in the first half, three rushes and one pass. White, on the other hand, had nine carries and four receptions, significantly out-touching his rookie counterpart. Their final opportunities in terms of carries and targets were 21 for White and 12 for Irving. Therefore, in the second half, the two backs saw equal opportunities.
Perhaps Irving’s biggest positive is that, per TruMedia, he had an almost 50-50 split in terms of being in the game on running and passing plays. That would suggest that the Buccaneers trust the rookie to be on the field in those situations, which is promising for his workload both alongside White and as a potential handcuff.
#Bucs HC Todd Bowles on Bucky Irving:
“Buck’s a ballplayer. His height and his size do not magnify how good he is as a running back. He can run up the middle, he can catch the ball, he’s tough, he finishes runs, he’s very good at making the first guy miss in the hole, and he had… pic.twitter.com/74xMsSNnb9
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 9, 2024
After the game, Buccaneers’ head coach Todd Bowles spoke glowingly about Irving’s performance.
“Buck’s a ballplayer. His height and his size do not magnify how good he is as a running back. He can run up the middle, he can catch the ball, he’s tough, he finishes runs, he’s very good at making the first guy miss in the hole, and he had a heck of a ballgame.”
However, he also defended White’s performance, “We’re gonna need both of them this season. The hole’s gotta be there for Rachaad [White]… It opened up later in the game for Bucky [Irving], but that doesn’t mean Rachaad was playing bad.”
It will be intriguing to see if the noise around Irving and White continues to grow and how the Buccaneers address it in the coming weeks.
While the game script may not play out as favorably for Tampa Bay this week when it visits the Detroit Lions, Irving does enjoy the benefit of playing with a less established RB1 compared with Benson or Corum. White was one of the least efficient backs last year in a number of metrics, and that presents an opportunity for Irving going forward.
Benson’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
The Arizona Cardinals’ third-round pick played just eight out of 60 possible snaps (13%) in their Week 1 loss at Buffalo, with veteran James Conner retaining his bell-cow status. However, Benson did touch the ball on half of his snaps, illustrating offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s clear intention to get him the ball.
Benson and the Cardinals receive a more favorable matchup this week against the Los Angeles Rams, who conceded 28.3 fantasy points on rush attempts in Week 1, the fourth-highest in the league.
KEEP READING: PFN’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings
Los Angeles ranked middle-of-the-pack in this area last season (15th) but could predictably experience regression in this category after Aaron Donald’s retirement and the preseason trade of starting linebacker Ernest Jones IV.
Benson could eventually see his fantasy value rise later in the season, but the presence of Conner and second-year back Emari Demercado (22% share of snaps in Week 1, including 29% on dropbacks) limits his immediate ceiling.
Corum’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
The third-rounder did not even see the field in his return to Michigan in Week 1, with Kyren Williams vacuuming up all but seven snaps and Ronnie Rivers spelling LA’s starter for the rest.
During his Monday press conference, Sean McVay explained that the litany of offensive line injuries upended the Rams’ game plan, and that he wanted to get both Rivers and Corum more involved. While that sentiment sounds nice, the reality is that the Rams’ offensive line remains just as battered as it did at the end of opening week.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson remains suspended, Week 1 starters Joe Noteboom (LT) and Steve Avila (LG) were placed on IR, and projected starters Rob Havenstein (RT) and Kevin Dotson (RG) are on the injury report, with Dotson not practicing at all.
Corum’s fantasy outlook would already be shaky without definitive proof that McVay will work him into the backfield rotation. Coupled with the Rams’ significant injury woes along the line, any fantasy options beyond Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams and Matthew Stafford are tenuous propositions this week.