Bucky Irving Injury Update: Buccaneers RB Expected To Miss Week 11
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a 28-23 loss at the hands of the New England Patriots during Week 10, dealing with a plethora of injuries throughout the offense. The offensive trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving were each held out of Sunday’s loss.
In the backfield, Irving has dealt with notable foot and shoulder injuries which have kept him sidelined since Tampa Bay’s Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Irving entered the season ranked as one of the top running backs in fantasy, and matched those expectations through his first four games of the season.
Prior to his injury, Irving averaged 18.0 PPR points per week, headlined by a 25.5-point, 165-scrimmage yard performance versus the Eagles, despite the loss. The Buccaneers have rolled out a backfield tandem consisting of Rachaad White and Sean Tucker amid Irving’s absence, and the unit has faced its share of struggles.
Entering Tampa Bay’s Week 11 matchup versus the Buffalo Bills, there is still no official timetable for Irving’s return to action. The star running back is on track to miss his sixth consecutive game of the season, as he continues to deal with injuries.
He remains the team’s second-leading rusher, despite his absence, totaling 237 yards on the ground over 71 carries, adding 19 receptions for 193 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Here’s a fantasy football outlook for the remainder of Tampa Bay’s offense, as Bucky Irving nears a potential return to practice over the next few weeks:
Buccaneers Fantasy Football Outlook Amid Bucky Irving’s Absence
White has offered solid fantasy production despite inefficient output in an inconsistent run game. The veteran running back has managed quiet performances at times over the last few weeks, coming off a 10.4-PPR point performance versus the Patriots in Week 10. White totaled a team-high 10 carries for 38 yards, adding five catches for 16 yards in the passing game.
Behind him, Tucker emerged as the team’s leading rusher with fewer looks, racking up 53 yards over nine carries, hauling in one of his two targets for a loss of two.
Since taking over as the team’s starting running back, White has averaged roughly 13.5 fantasy points per week among PPR leagues, offering valuable production for a mid-tier RB2 and potential flex start. He leads the team in rushing through their first nine games, racking up 325 yards and four touchdowns on the ground over 87 carries so far this season.
Tampa Bay’s passing game remains the offense’s premier source of production with Baker Mayfield at the helm. Mayfield threw for three touchdowns during Sunday’s loss to New England, with rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka breaking a quiet fantasy streak. Egbuka racked up six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown over nine targets.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.