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.
Frank Ammirante’s Bucky Irving Fantasy Projection
Bucky Irving took over the Buccaneers’ backfield down the stretch last season, averaging 15.3 fantasy points per game from Week 6 onward, which ranked as RB11 during that stretch. The most significant sign that fellow back Rachaad White had been phased out of the offense was in the playoff loss to the Commanders, where Irving had 19 touches and White had only one.
Even with Liam Coen no longer as playcaller, there’s a good chance that Irving continues to dominate usage in this backfield. It helps that the Bucs made an in-house replacement for Coen, promoting Josh Grizzard from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator. That type of continuity gives me confidence that Irving will remain a focal point.
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So here, we have a second-year, elusive back who can make plays in the passing game, suiting up for a high-powered Tampa offense that should be in several shootouts due to a vulnerable defense. There’s a lot to like in Irving’s profile, making him worth a look in the second round of fantasy drafts.
