Bucky

Irving

Despite being a limited participant in practice throughout the week, Irving won’t be suiting up for Week 11. This was probably to be expected after one reporter described Irving’s Wednesday practice as a walk-through. Rachaad White will again serve as the Buccaneers’ RB1 in a game that could feature plenty of offense from both teams, making him an RB2/RB3 candidate this week.

This is promising, though we wouldn’t go as far as to say that we’re 100 percent convinced Irving will play in Week 11 given the long layoff. Back-to-back limited sessions augur well for Irving’s return though — most players who practice on Wednesday and Thursday make it to game day. We’d bet he’ll get a questionable tag on Friday.

Bucs beat writers described Wednesday’s session as a walk-through, meaning Irving wasn’t practicing in full while battling shoulder and foot issues that have plagued him since mid-September. With continued practice participation on Thursday and Friday, Irving could make his return to game action this week against Buffalo. The Bucs could also wait another week to make sure Irving is back to full health before re-installing him as the team’s starting back.

It’s not a great mode to be in as the Bucs head into their Week 11 matchup against the Bills. Stroud said he did not expected Godwin or Irving to practice Wednesday, and both players would seem unlikely to suit up against Buffalo. Look for Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to continue splitting the Bucs’ backfield workload against a weak Buffalo rush defense, and for Tez Johnson to operate as the team’s WR2 with Godwin sidelined.

It sounds like the Buccaneers are already preparing to be without Irving for Week 11 against the Bills. While we continue to wait for good news regarding Irving’s availability, Bowles did share that Irving’s shoulder injury is the only thing currently holding him back from getting on the field, suggesting that the ankle injury that initially sidelined him is a non-issue at this point. We’ll see if Irving’s practice status changes when the first injury report drops on Wednesday, but we aren’t expecting much at this point.

Irving hasn’t played since Week 4. Despite there being hope he would be able to return after the team’s Week 9 bye, but after being a DNP all week, the second-year back will again be watching from the sidelines. His absence will put Rachaad White back in high-end RB2 territory for fantasy managers, as White has averaged 16.8 touches per game since Irving has been sidelined while finding the end zone three times.

Godwin has not yet returned to practice, so missing Week 10 against the Patriots makes sense. Fowler adds that RB Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) could sit out in Week 10 as well. The Buccaneers face the Saints on December 7th, at which point, Godwin should apparently be back. Unfortunately, that is five games away, which could prove costly for fantasy managers who continue to stash him. He does not need to be rostered at this time.

Irving hasn’t played since Week 4 and a Week 9 bye was not enough to get him back on the practice field. Two DNPs to open the week all but guarantee another missed game for the young back. Rachaad White will likely draw the start again this week. Facing a New England defense that is giving up the fewest rushing yards in the league to opposing running backs, White will be a low-end RB2 at best for Week 10.

It’s not a great development as the Bucs come out of their bye week. There was hope Irving would be back at practice ahead of Tampa’s Week 10 game against the Patriots after being sidelined more more than a month with foot and shoulder injuries. If Irving can’t get in a limited practice Thursday or Friday, he’ll likely miss Week 10, leaving Rachaad White as the team’s lead back. White, who has 67 touches over his four games as the Bucs’ starter, would be a top-20 fantasy option against New England.

The Buccaneers featured both running backs on their second drive, seemingly setting up one of them for an eventual end zone plunge. The drive ended in disaster, though. The Buccaneers’ offense matriculated the ball down to the Saints’ one-yard line, where White (three times) and Tucker (twice) were both stuffed for no gain on five straight plays despite being given the extra, fifth chance by the Saints defense via a neutral zone infraction. White looked good navigating traffic via a 17-yard screen pass reception on the Buccaneers’ fifth drive, but he was never able to make up for the lost points. The Buccaneers are on bye in Week 9 and face the Patriots in Week 10. White’s starting viability hinges upon RB Bucky Irving’s (foot/shoulder) health.