Bucky Irving Injury Update Could End Sean Tucker’s Meteoric Rise Ahead of Week 12

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is nearing a return from injury, potentially halting Sean Tucker’s breakout just as he emerges as a fantasy football star heading into Week 12.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Fantasy owners have been without Tampa Bay Buccaneers star second-year running back Bucky Irving since Week 4 with both a foot and shoulder injury. Things have not looked good for Irving's fantasy outlook, but we did get some encouraging news over the past week. After he wasn't expected to return to practice last week, he managed to get in three limited sessions leading into Week 11. 

#Bucs HC Todd Bowles says that Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin Jr. will be worked in more this week in practice and evaluate them at the end of the week.

— PewterReport 🏴‍☠️ (@PewterReport) November 17, 2025

On Monday, we learned that, "#Bucs HC Todd Bowles says that Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin Jr. will be worked in more this week in practice and evaluate them at the end of the week." That leads us to believe that Irving could be ready to return sooner rather than later. As soon as he is back on the field, he becomes a must-start option and sinks the value of the other Tampa Bay running backs.

Fantasy Football Impact of Bucky Irving's Looming Return

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of the game at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

RB Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As we expected, Tucker continued to overtake the Tampa Bay backfield in Week 11. He ended up having a monster day for his fantasy owners. Tucker handled 19 carries, which he took for 106 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard touchdown run. His impact was also felt in the passing attack, where he caught both of his targets for 34 yards and another touchdown. This was a massive breakout game for Tucker. However, once Irving is able to return to action, Tucker is not a viable fantasy option. There is a chance that he could still get significant work as they work Irving back in during his first week, but that is not something you want to bank on. While Irving is still sidelined, Tucker should be a solid starting option. 

RB Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

White has lost his job as the starting running back, while Irving is unable to suit up. In Week 11, he carried the ball 10 for 51 yards. That's not the biggest issue, though. The bigger concern is that he didn't get much work in the passing game. We did expect him to maintain that role. He caught just two of three targets for 11 yards on Sunday. It's safe to say that he is no longer worth starting in your fantasy lineup. However, once Irving does return, White could have a larger role than Tucker as the third-down back, while Tucker is relegated to just being the true handcuff to Irving.