Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving has emerged as one of fantasy football‘s most promising young talents, but his recent absence from the lineup has left managers scrambling for answers.
What initially appeared to be a minor setback has evolved into something more concerning, with multiple injury concerns now clouding his immediate availability. Fantasy football fans who have relied on Irving’s consistent production through the first four weeks are now facing difficult roster decisions as his timeline for return remains murky.
Bucky Irving Injury Update
Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was held out of Week 5’s win against the Seattle Seahawks due to both a shoulder and a toe injury. He is also expected to miss Week 6 due to the shoulder injury.
Backup Rachaad White operated as the lead back in Week 5 with 14 carries for 41 yards and two touchdowns, and four receptions for 30 yards. He reprises that role in Week 6 if Irving is officially out.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek
Irving Fantasy Outlook
News broke in the middle of last week that Irving’s foot sprain would cost him a game, maybe two at most. Over the weekend, however, we heard about a shoulder injury that wasn’t initially reported and is considered to be the more serious of the ailments, carrying with it a multi-week recovery.
We are talking about one of the more promising young players in the game, and that, along with the limited expectations competition-wise in the NFC South, could result in a cautious approach.
Tampa Bay hosts San Francisco next week before consecutive road games (Lions and Saints) ahead of their Week 9 bye. Could we be looking at zero snaps in the month of October?
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 6 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
Regardless of when he returns, Irving is a lineup lock across the board. He was a top-15 producer in each of the first weeks, a nice accomplishment when you consider that he’s yet to hit a home run in the ground game (longest carry: 16 yards).
Unless reports point in a different direction, I’m going to assume that Irving will walk right back into his bellcow role when cleared medically (Weeks 1-4: 73.8% of RB touches) and will be ready to carry your team when it matters most.
- Week 16 at Carolina Panthers
- Week 17 at Miami Dolphins
- Week 18 vs. Carolina Panthers
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
