BuckyIrving

News: 2 days agoIrving rushed eight times for 45 yards and a touchdown and brought in all seven targets for 48 yards in the Buccaneers' 27-23 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.

Spin: With the Buccaneers already down by a 24-10 margin at halftime, Irving was deployed as as receiver almost as frequently as he was a ball carrier. Irving was efficient in either capacity, and he paid his first visit to the end zone of the season on a 10-yard scoring run late in the first half. Irving also finished as the team leader in rushing yards, receptions and targets, but his first-quarter fumble on his own 33-yard line after a seven-yard catch did lead to a Bengals touchdown. Irving should have a golden opportunity for a much more robust workload on the ground in Week 2, however, as the Browns pay a visit to Tampa Bay next Sunday.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Irving enters his third season coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he missed seven games and struggled with efficiency. After averaging 5.42 yards per carry and producing 1,514 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, Irving fell to 3.40 YPC (fourth worst among qualified RBs), 865 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. He failed to clear 4.2 YPC in any of his 10 outings and had zero carries inside the opponent's 5 yard line. The 24-year-old remains positioned as the lead back in Tampa Bay, but the combination of his small frame (5-foot-9, 192 pounds) and the arrival of Kenneth Gainwell (not to mention Sean Tucker at the goal line) suggest he might play a lesser role moving forward. Irving should be valued as a back-end RB2.