Bucky Irving started out slowly, as many rookies do. By the end of the season, though, he was the clear running back 1 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and wound up being one of the best values of the season. Now entering his sophomore season as the unquestioned lead back, should fantasy football managers be eyeing up Irving in fantasy drafts?
Should You Draft Bucky Irving in Fantasy?
Irving exceeded all expectations as a third-round rookie last season. He averaged 14.4 points per reception (PPR) fantasy points per game, finishing as the overall RB19. That was an incredible return on investment for what was essentially a handcuff pick in fantasy drafts.
However, Irving wasn’t really the RB19. He was unstartable for the first five weeks of the season, playing well behind Rachaad White. Eventually, though, head coach Todd Bowles figured out that White is one of the worst pure runners in the NFL. That, combined with White’s untimely fumbles and Irving’s improved play, led to the rookie eventually taking over.
.@buckyirving only started 3️⃣ games in 2024 😳
🏈 1122 rushing yards
🏈 392 receiving yards
🏈8 touchdowns pic.twitter.com/EeFjmvJPnD— NFL (@NFL) June 8, 2025
From Weeks 6–18, Irving averaged 16.9 points per game (PPG). If we isolate his stats after the Bucs’ Week 11 bye, that jumps to 18.3. Furthermore, if we remove his 2.8 points from Week 14 when he exited early due to injury, we get 20.9.
Volume is king in fantasy football, and pure volume is what made White an effective fantasy asset in 2023. That wasn’t the case with Irving.
The rookie only saw a 49.6% opportunity share on the season. However, he averaged 6.0 yards per touch, fifth in the league, and had a 29.5% evaded tackles per touch rate, third in the league. Efficiency isn’t especially sticky for running backs, but it certainly isn’t a bad thing.
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The Bucs have one of the best run-blocking offensive lines, averaging 1.04 adjusted yards before contact per rush, seventh in the league. Irving is now the clear starter. Tampa Bay also has a subpar defense in a division that should offer plenty of shootouts. The stage is set for Irving to have a massive year.
With that said, Irving is not exactly flying under the radar. He has an RB9 average draft position (ADP) and typically does not make it out of the second round.
I have Irving ranked as my RB8, and he is someone I am aggressively targeting in every draft, unfortunately, with early-round players, where you draft matters. Unless you land an early pick, drafting Irving may not be possible. But to the extent I can, I want Irving on as many teams as possible.
Cameron Sheath’s Bucky Irving Fantasy Projection
There is still a lot of room for growth when it comes to Bucky Irving’s fantasy output. The former Oregon standout finished just outside RB1 range (RB13 in full-PPR) despite topping a 50% snap-share just six times in his rookie year.
During Irving’s hot streak from Weeks 12-18 last year, the Tampa Bay rookie was the RB9 in fantasy points per game (minimum five games). The Buccaneers’ split backfield, though, with three players all getting opportunities, will limit Irving’s ceiling if not streamlined.
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Rachaad White and Sean Tucker are still on the team, and at least one of those players will need to be phased out if Irving is to challenge for a top-five finish at the position. It should be encouraging, then, that White was handed minimal work in the team’s playoff matchup with the Washington Commanders in January.
A greater workload could come with a dip in efficiency for Irving in 2025 — the rookie was fourth among running backs in yards per attempt last year. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Irving earn at least 30 more carries, with similar efficiency and a few more touchdowns this year, resulting in a significant profit on his current ADP (RB10).
