Bucky Irving

There is always doubt when a fourth round rookie over performs, but its hard to think Bucky Irving was a one year fluke. He outperformed Rachaad White to such an extent that White is now viewed as a third down, relieving back only.

He isn't sneaking up on anyone this season, but could 2025 be better than his eye-raising RB10 finish? He'll be battling Rachaad White and Sean Tucker for short-yardage scores, but everything else appears to be the same, if not better than last season. 

Irving performed great as a rookie. He also earned a lot of touches in situations where the defense expected Tampa to throw the ball. 

Both statements can be true. Here's a third statement that's true: GM Jason Licht and the staff believe Sean Tucker has NFL starter talent. There's talk about getting Tucker the ball more often. 

Will that be at Irving's or Rachaad White's expense? Likely White, but Tucker has something that neither Irving nor White possess -- top-drawer speed in the build of a lead back. 

Expect Irving to remain a fantasy starter this year, but don't expect Irving to build on his role. 

Team has stated commitment to a split backfield, questions around who claims passing role. 

He's not a dynamic athlete, but that matters less at the running back position. His shiftiness and elusiveness in space immediately translated to the NFL. He ranked 11th in 10+ yard runs (27), seventh in 15+ yard runs (14), second in PFF's Elusiveness Rating, ninth in Missed Tackles Forced (57), eighth in Yards After Contact (834), and first in Yards After Contact per Attempt (4.03) last season. Irving is a bit smaller at 192 pounds and has two talented teammates in his running back room. Those are the only factors keeping his ranking from being even higher.

Irving was a great story in 2024, but the departure of Liam Coen and expected regression for Tampa Bay make him a bit overvalued in drafts.

He was a top-10 fantasy back last season despite a relatively slow start and ceding 195 touches to Rachaad White. There will still be a timeshare in 2025, but he has shown he deserves more touches.

His volume didn't pick up until later in the season. His rushing and receiving efficiency stayed elite. Even with Rachaad White and the limited sample, the metrics indicate he'll stay productive.