Who Should I Start? Rachaad White or Bucky Irving

Friday, September 5, 8:41 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is expected to take a backseat in the backfield in 2025. Last season, White began the season as the lead back, but ultimately lost the starting role to Bucky Irving. White saw his role in the offense decrease to the point where he only saw 20 touches over the final four games of the season. He finished last season with 613 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground. White also hauled in 51 receptions for 393 additional yards and six touchdowns through the air. The expectation is that Irving will do a majority of the ground work while White is the primary receiving back. That being said, White isn't going to offer a ton of fantasy value heading into the season opener versus the Atlanta Falcons. White should be viewed as a flex option in PPR leagues with Irving serving as the lead back now in Tampa Bay.

Saturday, September 6, 12:03 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving heads into 2025 with a chip on his shoulder and breakout potential. The former fourth-round pick says he still draws motivation from his draft-day slide: "I kept that anger and used it as motivation. I was pissed. I was waiting for three days, so just being there and seeing everybody get drafted, it lit a fire in me." That fire fueled an electric finish to his rookie year. From Week 13 on (excluding the Raiders game he exited early), Irving averaged 20 attempts for 123.3 scrimmage yards and scored five touchdowns in eight games, scoring 17.6 half-PPR fantasy points during that span. Now entering his second season, Irving is being hyped as a prime breakout candidate in 2025. With clear RB1 usage and the Buccaneers' offense leaning on his explosiveness, he'll look to pick up right where he left off when Tampa Bay opens against the Atlanta Falcons.