Expect increased role to continue for rookie

Buccaneers RB Rachaad White got his 1st career start and wound up with season-high playing time in the last game. And the 2nd part wasn't just about Leonard Fournette leaving early with a hip issue. “I think it was excellent to see him go out there and play an extended amount of snaps,” OC Byron Leftwich said Thursday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I don’t know if he was ready for that many earlier. We saw the gifts that he had early but … we’re here with him every day, so we knew we had to get him to the point he could handle that type of load. He’s there now." White's playing time and touch count (22 carries vs. Seattle) probably won't be quite so high with Fournette back -- he has put in limited practices this week -- but expect enough of a role to put White in flex contention for many fantasy football teams.

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.

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.