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Bucs RB Rachaad White (foot) is listed as doubtful for this weekend's game vs. the Saints. He was limited in Wednesday's practice but sidelined on Thursday and Friday. HC Todd Bowles called White a game-time decision on Friday, but the 'doubtful' tag makes him unlikely to play. White's absence will leave RB Bucky Irving in a clear lead role. The explosive rookie has averaged 5.6 yards per carry this season and is an exciting RB2 play in Week 6 fantasy lineups.
Bucs RB Rachaad White (foot) did not practice on Thursday. That follows a limited practice on Wednesday. White either got the day off or suffered a setback with the foot injury he suffered near the end of the Week 5 loss to the Falcons. We should have a better idea of his status for Sunday's game vs. the Saints when the Bucs release their final injury report on Friday afternoon. White's absence would turn RB Bucky Irving into a strong Week 6 fantasy play.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White had his most efficient rushing outing of the season in the Week 5 loss to the Falcons, taking 10 carries for 72 yards. The majority of that damage came on a career-long 56-yarder in the second quarter. White's other nine carries totaled 16 yards (1.8 YPC). And his three catches went backward six yards.
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles said after Week 3 that rookie RB Bucky Irving "has definitely earned more reps." Bucs coaches proved Sunday he meant it. Irving matched Rachaad White at 10 carries apiece. He also ran 20 pass routes to White's 24, drawing 2 targets to White's 3. Both RBs rushed for 49 yards. White's 2-35 receiving line easily beat Irving's 1 reception for 6 yards.
Bucs RBs Rachaad White (illness) and Bucky Irving (hamstring) are active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. White dealt with food poisoning late in the week, while Irving got in just limited practices on Wednesday and Friday. This is one of the tougher backfields to predict in Week 4 after Irving out-carried White last week. See where both guys land in the RB Rankings.
Bucs RBs Rachaad White (illness) and Bucky Irving (hamstring) are expected to play vs. the Eagles today, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. "White was dealing with food poisoning and already feels better," Schefter tweeted. Irving got in just two limited practices this week but reportedly looked fine on Friday. See where both guys sit in the updated Week 4 RB Rankings.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White is now questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles because of illness, according to multiple reports. Players most commonly play through such designations for illness. But the late arrival of White's issue could factor into his availability. RB Bucky Irving is also questionable with a hamstring injury, though he has said he expects to play and appeared to be moving well when testing it out Saturday. We'll check both Tampa Bay RBs when Sunday's inactives arrive.
Bucs RB Bucky Irving (hamstring) did not practice on Thursday. It's a downgrade from his limited workout on Wednesday. Irving told reporters that he'll play vs. the Eagles this weekend, but take that with a hefty grain of salt. We'll see if the rookie gets back on the field on Friday and then how he's listed on the final injury report. His absence would be a significant boost to RB Rachaad White's Week 4 fantasy value.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles said Monday that RB Bucky Irving "has definitely earned more reps." Irving was out-snapped 42 to 18 by RB Rachaad White in the Week 3 loss to the Broncos. Bowles said that was due to his team playing from behind. White remains the preferred back in passing situations. But it sounds like that gap in snaps should shrink in the coming weeks.
The rookie ran nine times for 70 yards adding three catches for 14 yards while Rachaad White had six rushes for 17 yards and five catches for 18 yards.
Bucs RB Rachaad White suffered a groin injury in the first quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Lions and is officially questionable to return. Stay tuned for an update. White's absence leaves rookie Bucky Irving as Tampa Bay's lead back.
Update: White returned to the game later in the first quarter.
Asked about his plans for the backfield on Wednesday, Bucs HC Todd Bowles said it'll change on a "game-by-game basis" and be a "hot-hand" situation. Bowles also confirmed that RB Rachaad White will start Sunday's opener vs. the Commanders.
The Buccaneers drafted Oregon RB Bucky Irving in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Irving earned 133 carries as a freshman at Minnesota, but left after that season. He transferred to Oregon in 2022 and immediately earned a 1A backfield role. That year, the 192-pounder showed surprising power with 4.36 yards after contact per attempt. Nearly 22% of his carries went for 10+ yards en route to a career-best 6.8 yards per carry. Irving struggled with drops, but that issue proved less worrisome in 2023. Irving even led the nation in receptions by a RB (55). He showed scheme versatility by lining up out wide on 13.2% of his passing snaps. He played the slot nearly 10% of the time. On the ground, Irving remained productive while running both gap and zone concepts. The junior posted career highs in carries (186), yards (1,192), and TDs (11). By mid-winter, it looked like Irving had a chance to be among the first couple of RBs selected. Then came a horrid NFL Combine that included a 2.25 Relative Athletic Score. Irving posted a 26th-percentile broad jump (9'7) and 4th-percentile vertical (29.5 inches). He came off the board sixth among RBs, though, and lands in a Tampa Bay backfield that presents opportunity. Rachaad White enjoyed a breakout 2023 but did so primarily thanks to touch volume. He ranked sixth-lowest among qualifiers in rush yards over expected per attempt, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Among 63 RBs with at least 60 carries, White ranked just 48th in yards after contact per attempt (according to Pro Football Focus). He even checked in just 27th in PFF receiving grade among 61 RBs with at least 20 targets. Expect Irving to siphon some work from White right away, with a chance to keep earning more. This is a good landing spot for Irving's dynasty outlook. We'll see where he lands in rookie ADP.
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles told reporters at the Scouting Combine that he'd "definitely like to have another back in here to take some of the weight off" RB Rachaad White. That statement shouldn't surprise anyone. White ranked sixth in the league in opportunity share last season and second in carries. He remained inefficient as a runner, though. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and ranked 38th among 44 qualifying RBs in rushing success rate. We're not betting Tampa Bay will replace White as the backfield leader. But the team would clearly like to upgrade on the rest of its 2023 backfield. And that's likely to cut into White's work share some. You might be surprised to see where White sits in our 2024 RB rankings, because we're already factoring in that expectation.
Liam Coen is expected to be named the Bucs' new OC, according to NFL Network. Coen broke into the NFL coaching ranks as a Rams assistant under HC Sean McVay from 2018 to 2020. He headed to the college ranks in 2021 as Kentucky's OC, re-joined McVay as Rams OC in 2022, and then bounced back to Kentucky's OC job this past year. The most noteworthy aspect of this hire is that Coen spent the second half of that 2022 season with QB Baker Mayfield, who's scheduled to hit free agency next month. A return to Tampa Bay seems to make the most sense for both sides.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White went quiet in Week 17 vs. the Saints. The second-year back ended Sunday with 42 rushing yards on 11 carries with 4 receptions for 24 yards. Despite the disappointing finish, White has enjoyed a breakout season. Through Week 17, he sits fifth among RBs in total PPR points and ninth in points per game. White has already nearly doubled his carries (253) and rushing yards (915) vs. last year, while averagingof 3.8 receptions per game. This usage is encouraging as we look ahead to his age-25 season. Treat White as a borderline RB1 in dynasty formats.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White again shined as the focal point of Tampa Bay's offense, totaling 25 carries for 102 rushing yards in Week 14 vs. the Falcons. The second-year back also roped in 2 catches for 33 yards and a TD in the contest. White has now seen at least 20 carries in three of his last five games and sets up fantasy managers well with a true workhorse role. He'll look to continue his fantasy dominance again in Week 15 vs. the Packers, a defense that's surrendered the third-most rushing yards (1,635) and yards per game (136.3) in the NFL this season. We'll see how they fare on Monday night vs. the Giants, but it's worth noting that Green Bay has allowed four straight games with at least 140 yards to opposing offenses. You're in excellent shape if you're rolling into the fantasy playoffs with White on your roster.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White handled 20 carries for 84 rushing yards and a TD in Week 13 vs. the Panthers. The second-year back also recorded 3 catches for 22 yards. The 23 touches were White's second-most this season. But he has reached 20 carries in three of the past five games and fallen short of 17 touches in just three games all season. The Buccaneers' remaining schedule ranks seventh-toughest for RBs, but White's usage has been game-script resistant. Five Bucs losses have seen White fall short of 15 carries. He has caught at least three passes in each of those, including 6+ receptions in each of the past three such games. White's also averaging 99.9 total yards per game since Week 7. Don't be scared by the difficulty of his matchups. Start White confidently (in most cases) the rest of the season.
Bucs RB Rachaad White did not seem at all inhibited by the knee issue that landed him on the injury report ahead of Sunday's game vs. the Colts. He took 15 carries for a season-high 100 yards, highlighted by a 38-yard rip in the fourth quarter. White was quieter than usual in the passing game, catching both of his targets for 10 yards. But White has now totaled 98+ yards in five of his last six games. He gets another plus matchup in Week 13 against the Panthers' 30th-ranked RB defense. White's schedule toughens from that point on, with negative matchups against Atlanta, Jacksonville, and New Orleans between Weeks 14 and 17. But White's passing-game role will keep him comfortably in fantasy-starter range in those games.
Bucs RB Rachaad White (knee) is active for today’s game vs. the Colts. He was added to the injury report on Saturday as a precaution, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, after his knee “locked up” on Friday. That’s a little spooky – but there’s been nothing to suggest that White will be limited today. The Bucs have their usual three RBs active (White, Chase Edmonds, and Sean Tucker), which is further indication that there's no concern with White. He belongs in the vast majority of fantasy lineups against Indianapolis’ 31st-ranked RB defense.
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