Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles revealed that the team would be going with the “hot hand” at the running back position moving forward. That is a nightmare scenario for fantasy football managers trying to figure out which RB to start in their lineups.
After an impressive outing from Sean Tucker last week, is he a trustworthy fantasy option moving forward? Or, will Rachaad White and Bucky Irving continue to get opportunities to grab the RB1 role? Let’s dive into what Bowles describes as his “three-headed monster.”
Rachaad White (vs. BAL)
A foot injury kept White out of action last week and allowed Bucky Irving to continue to impress (24.5% production over expectation in the blowout of the Saints). The dangerous carries were trending in the direction of the rookie before the injury, and I think it’s now safe to label this as a flipped backfield.
White has produced 18% under expectation this season and averages just 3.7 yards per carry across his 39 NFL games. He’s a viable situational back, but are we sure there is anything on a football field that he does better than Irving? When you factor in a handful of Sean Tucker touches that now seem inevitable, White, who was a third-round pick less than two months ago, shouldn’t be in consideration for your starting lineup.
Bucky Irving
Irving had been working his way into a timeshare in this backfield, and when given the opportunity to be featured last week with Rachaad White ruled out (foot), the rookie didn’t miss. He turned 16 touches into 105 yards and a touchdown, producing 24.5% over expectation in the beatdown of the Saints.
My metrics are great, but nothing in a spreadsheet can properly detail the stiff arm of the year that he handed out, so when you’re setting lineups this week, I suggest having that on a loop to remind you of what he can do.
one of the most casually violent stiff arms you'll ever see from Bucky Irving pic.twitter.com/VHpXSZ4IQD
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) October 14, 2024
This, of course, is a tougher matchup. Not only are the Ravens among the best at stopping the run, but I have serious questions about Tampa Bay’s ability to get Derrick Henry off the field. The schedule does Irving no favors over the next month, and that may create something of a buying window when the Bucs go on bye in Week 11.
- Week 12 at Giants
- Week 13 at Panthers
- Week 14 vs. Raiders
- Week 15 at Chargers
- Week 16 at Cowboys
- Week 17 vs. Panthers
If this backfield is his for that stretch, he’s going to project as a top-15 play with the potential to carry you to a championship.
Sean Tucker
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the former Syracuse product this week after his role in the beatdown of the Saints last week, and while I was impressed, I’m not sure it means anything moving forward.
Todd Bowles stirred up the conversation when he mentioned being impressed with Tucker and having a “three-headed monster” when it comes to the backfield. It’s not that I don’t believe him, I just have a hard time seeing the second-year back out-earn Bucky Irving or Rachaad White (Week 6 DNP, foot), and a handful of touches per week isn’t roster-worthy.
If we were to get word that White’s injury is more serious than initially thought, then we can talk, but in today’s NFL, supporting two running backs is an uphill battle for most offenses, let alone three. I resisted the urge to add Tucker this week off waivers — as a free add, there’s no real cost incurred, but burning a waiver priority or FAAB isn’t worth it in my opinion.
