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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of this season's most pleasant surprises. Embarking on a new chapter in the post-Tom Brady era, the Bucs signed Baker Mayfield, who led his squad to a 3-1 start before losing to the Detroit Lions last Sunday.
In regards to Tampa Bay's skill players, all eyes were on Rachaad White heading into the 2023 campaign. The second-year back was in line to handle a significant workload as the clear-cut No. 1 option out of the backfield. However, after five games, White's production has been underwhelming, to say the least.
Can Rachaad White be a reliable option in fantasy football? Can I drop Rachaad White ahead of Week 7? It's time to answer these key questions.
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Can Rachaad White Be A Reliable Fantasy Option?
The reasoning for drafting White was sound: picking high-volume players usually pays off, especially at the running back position. For Tampa Bay's young running back, though, that hasn't been the case quite yet. He has looked solid as a pass-catcher but struggled on the ground, averaging just 3.31 YPC. He also owns as many touchdowns as fumbles (one) through five games.
Nevertheless, White's slow start can be blamed on a tough matchups. He has been hampered by a very challenging stretch of games against each of the top-three defenses in terms of fantasy points allowed to running backs.
Although White's matchups don't get better from a short-term perspective (he faces the Falcons, Bills, Titans, and 49ers between now and Week 11), brighter days will come his way in late November. Starting in Week 12 versus the Panthers and running through Week 18, the 24-year-old faces some of the league's most porous run defenses.
Can I Drop Rachaad White in Fantasy Football?
With a soft schedule throughout the second half of the season and the fantasy playoffs, White will soon trend in the right direction and re-emerge as the promising fantasy prospect we grew excited about in 2022.
Fantasy managers should hold onto White (or even buy low) in anticipation of his huge bounce-back during the second half of the season. He faces no competition in the Bucs' backfield and will benefit drastically once Tampa Bay starts facing teams like the Texans (Week 9), Panthers (Weeks 13 and 18), Packers (Week 15), and Jaguars (Week 16).
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