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Will Bucky Irving still be the starter when he returns? John looks at the latest Bucky Irving injury return timeline and fantasy outlooks for the Buccaneers RBs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) continues to work his way back from foot and shoulder injuries that he suffered in his Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It's been a very long and frustrating road for fantasy managers who drafted him. He mostly went in the second and third round, so it took premium draft capital to get him on your team.
And he hasn't played much at all this year. A worst-case scenario came to pass in Week 11 as well -- another Bucs running back had a huge game. So will Irving be the starter when he comes back?
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Will Bucky Irving Start For The Buccaneers When He Returns?
While he will probably remain the RB1, Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker made a strong case to take on more rushing work in Week 11. He had a monster game in the loss, rushing 19 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns and catching his two targets for 34 yards and another score.
That totaled 34.0 PPR fantasy points, and while football coaches don't care about fantasy production, they pay attention to massive games like that. This is especially relevant because Irving has been one of the least efficient rushers in the NFL this season -- he averages just over 3.3 yards per carry.
SEAN TUCKER. 43-YARD TD.
TBvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/O0chu1HMdk
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
The Buffalo Bills, who Tampa Bay faced last week, have one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL, though. They have been gashed all year by opposing rushers, and rank second-to-last in the league in yards per carry allowed on opponent rushing plays, with 5.2.
They're missing their best defensive tackle, Ed Oliver (biceps) with a bicep injury. He's also their best run defender, and they have a heavy run-funnel defense that encourages opponents to run while playing well against the pass. Still, Tucker now has around 4.6 yards per carry on the year.
Bucky Irving Fantasy Football Outlook
Irving gets most of his fantasy points from receiving work, so him losing some rushes wouldn't be that big of a deal. He has zero rush TDs on the year, and averages 12.5 PPR fantasy points per game from his receiving work, which is nearly three times what he gets as a runner (4.7 PPG).
Irving makes a killing in space, where he's able to isolate defenders one-on-one and use his slick jukes and elite body control to dodge defenders and pick up extra yards. He's one of the most elusive RBs in the league. What he lacks is power, strength, and size -- he's under 200 pounds and doesn't excel at running over defenders.
BUCKY IRVING 72-YARD TD
PHIvsTB on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/a4mwpvFFUz
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
His presence on an elite offense and his involvement in the passing game certainly salvage what would be otherwise miserable fantasy value, and he's an RB2 moving forward. The Buccaneers, unfortunately, have had huge struggles blocking, and rank near last in the league in ESPN's Run Block Win Rate.
Still, he's a must-start when he comes back. But I wouldn't be falling over myself to trade for him. High-end workhorse usage is generally necessary to have elite upside as an RB, and Irving's inability to have high rushing totals or punch the ball in the end zone this season take away that upside.
Tampa Bay's OL unit lost yet another starter to injury in Week 11, and it's yet unclear when he'll return. One of their guards is out for the season as well. The interior run blocking just wasn't what it was last year under former offensive coordinator Liam Coen, and it doesn't look like it will return to that form any time soon.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Michael Wilson, Emanuel Wilson, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenneth Walker III, Kenneth Gainwell, Alec Pierce. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 12 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Michael Wilson, Emanuel Wilson, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenneth Walker III, Kenneth Gainwell, Alec Pierce. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 12.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 12 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 12 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Michael Wilson, Emanuel Wilson, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenneth Walker III, Kenneth Gainwell, Alec Pierce compared to others:
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