RB · TB · GWTTKB

Bucky Irving — fantasy football 2026

Every game, every stat category, and what the board says. 13.85 points per game in 2025, an ADP of 46.9, usage worth 16.5.

23 years old · 2 seasons of experience · 2024 draft class

Updated 2026-08-16 · free, no account, no paywall
Every figure below comes from our database. Where a stat is not held, the row is absent rather than zero.
ADP 46.9
Consensus across 4 books, standard deviation 9.2, 19.6 picks between cheapest and priciest. Cheapest on espn, priciest on sleeper.
SLEEPER36.5
ESPN56.1
YAHOO53.1
UNDERDOG54.1
CBS42
FFA50

Draft-room facts

Goes aroundRound 4, pick 11 in a 12-team draft
Positional rankRB20
Bye week10
ADP standard deviation9.2 picks

What we project for 2026

Our board has him at 190.8 points, 11.9 per game — 913 rushing yards, 5.5 rushing TDs, 30.3 catches. That is RB4, 50 overall.

The range runs from a floor of 9.2 points per game to a ceiling of 18.9, with the median at 11.9. Boom rate 59%, bust rate 22%. The spread is the actual bet, not the middle number.

He goes at 46.9 on consensus and our board has him 50. We rank him 3.1 picks worse than the room drafts him, so at ADP he is mildly overpriced. That is an objection to the price and not to the player — if he falls past his slot he can be exactly the right pick.

Our written view

Round-4 regret risk. Injury looks more severe than advertised - not expected back to start camp, so a ramp could bleed into Week 1. Even healthy it's a 3-way committee (Gainwell receiving, Sean Tucker goal-line); a 13-carry/1-target floor is in range and his TD projection isn't high enough to cover it. Prefer the suppressed mid-round WRs over paying round 4 here.

fade · medium conviction · 2026-06-14

The offense he plays in, 2026

Tampa Bay Buccaneers returns 4 of 6 continuity slots, replacing wr1, oc. Baker Mayfield at quarterback, Todd Bowles as head coach, Zac Robinson calling it. The offense projects to 33.1 pass attempts a game at medium confidence and 27.2 rushes.

In: Ted Hurst (wr5), David Sills V (wr7), Kenneth Gainwell (rb2). Out: Mike Evans (wr1), Rachaad White (rb2), Ko Kieft (te2).

The projected carry split across the offense:

Bucky Irving 57.6%
Kenneth Gainwell23.9%
Sean Tucker13.6%
Josh Williams5%

Our written view on this offense in 2026

What the offense looks like: Baker Mayfield is likely the QB of the future for Tampa & they are actively working to extend him. At its peak, it is a high powered offense that you want to own pieces of. This WR room has a void to fill with the departure of future HOF WR Mike Evans. Godwin is aging, & Egbuka COULD become a true WR1. OR McMillan, Johnson, or Hurst could break out and establish themselves as low end WR2/WR3 types. All of them can't win, but someone will. This RB room is confusing and Tampa has recently run a committee. Unclear if that is because Bucky was hurt in 2025 but he didnt have a single carry inside the 5 yard line the entire season. This makes me think Kenneth Gainwell will see significantly more playing time than many people realize. Sean Tucker MAY end up keeping the goalline role as well. We will find out.

Key additions: RB Kenneth Gainwell signed 2 year deal following IMPRESSIVE season in Pittsburgh as their RB2. Drafted WR Ted Hurst in the 3rd round. Extended TE Cade Otton. Hired new OC Zac Robinson from ATL.

Key departures: WR Mike Evans left to 49ers in free agency after entire career with Bucs. RB Rachaad White left to Commanders in free agency (RB2 and filled in when Irving was injured).

Notes: Emeka Egbuka is primed for a MASSIVE breakout if Baker Mayfield has strong 2026 season. Mike Evans left team in free agency for 49ers, opening up opportunity for Jalen McMillan & Tez Johnson & Ted Hurst 3rd round draft pick (young & productive WR). Chris Godwin aging & struggles to produce but could have decent low end WR2/WR3 role over next few years. Bucs signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency who was HIGHLY productive in Pittsburgh. Strong concern for Bucky Irving owners. We will have to see how the RB split carries. Will get a better idea through the summer and camp. Worth note, if the Bucs do not perform well in 2026, Todd Bowles is going to get fired. Expect his best product or he's done.

How the volume number was reached: Same QB Baker Mayfield returning — anchor to 2025 actuals (32.8 att/g); Regressed 42% toward league mean 33.5, floored at 30 → 33.1 att/g; New OC Zac Robinson — pass rate and tempo may shift.

How the carry projection was built

Projected carry share57.6%
Projected carries per game12.9
Projected carries, full season219
Last season, carries per game17.3

That is a reduction of 4.4 carries a game against last season, inside a team projection of 27.2 rushing attempts a game.

Basis: prior usage blend. Carry share is the strongest forward predictor we have measured at the position, so this number carries more weight than any efficiency figure on this page.

Offensive environment: TB rates 23 against a league average of 23, exactly at it on opponent-adjusted least squares (multi-capture merge).

2026 schedule

Opponent-adjusted run defense faced, against 2025 ratings. Positive is an easier slate.

Full season-0.4 · neutral
Weeks 1–6+2.9 · easier
Weeks 12–17-2.7 · harder
Fantasy playoffs (15–17)-5.3 · harder

Read this narrowly. Our own testing found that season-long strength of schedule does not survive as a draft input — defensive quality is among the least stable team properties year to year, and a preseason slate is built on last year's identities. The playoff-weeks column is the only one we would let break a tie, and even then it is a tiebreaker rather than a reason. The finding.

What happened when he missed time

From the absence record rather than a depth chart — who actually gained when he was out.

SeasonGames missedMain beneficiaryTheir PPR gain
20257Sean Tucker+7.6
Read the full Bucky Irving study →

Dynasty context not redraft

Everything in this section is about his dynasty trade value — what he is worth as a long-term asset in the trade market. It is not a forecast of his 2026 fantasy scoring. A player can be a fine redraft pick while his dynasty value falls, and the reverse. The redraft read is above; this is a different question with a different answer.

Where he sits in the dynasty value cycle

His dynasty value has moved -20.4% over the last twelve months. The market cycle classifies him as stable.

For context on how long this lasts at the position: the average career at his position produces 1.7 elite seasons and 2.4 startable seasons.

The five most similar seasons, and what their dynasty value did next

Matched on production profile — production-driven (pedigree ignored). The last column is how that player’s dynasty value moved the following year — a market outcome, not a scoring one.

PlayerSeasonTheir PPGSimilarityNext year
James Robinson202112.466%-38.1%
Jeffery Wilson202012.960%-32.9%
Cordarrelle Patterson202211.958%-55.6%
Brian Robinson202411.457%-26.2%
Devin Singletary202111.657%-3.4%

Of the 5 with a following season on record, 0 gained value, 5 lost it and 0 held roughly flat.

Four years of dynasty value

02,0004,0006,00020252026
Monthly superflex value, 2024-03 to 2026-07. Up 145% across the series, peaking at 6,234.

The player

Draft capital and athletic profile

Drafted2024, round 4, pick 125 by TAM
CollegeOregon
Age at draft22
Height5′9″
Weight192 lb
40-yard dash4.55s
Vertical29.5″
Broad jump115″

Availability and volatility

Career PPR per game14.9
Week-to-week variation0.5
Boom rate28.6%
Bust rate19%
Games missed per season3.5
Injury historyFoot
Correlation between his posted line and his actual score0.3

That correlation is how closely the books’ posted line tracked what he actually scored, week to week. A higher number means the market has him figured out and there is less to exploit; a lower one means his weeks are harder to price.

Injury type matters more than games missed. Measured across our injury database, knee and foot returns stay below a player’s pre-injury baseline for all three of the first games back, while hamstring returns over-recover by the third.

The record, season by season

2025 · TB · 10 games

His best game was Week 4 against PHI — 25.5 PPR on 20 touches and a 12.8% target share, in a game that finished 25-31. His worst was Week 16 against CAR at 7.1, on 19 touches, final score 20-23. Across 10 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 1 time.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 16.5 points per game. He scored 13.85, 15.8% below it. The engine classified the season as unlucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1ATL23-2014.54481437113.3%76%
2HOU20-1918.166501771016.7%71%
3NYJ29-2713.944332566013.8%74%
4PHI25-3125.5551021563112.8%61%
13ARI20-1716.12220176117.7%52%
14NO20-2416.123261555110.7%49%
15ATL28-298.11311166009.4%54%
16CAR20-237.1000197100%62%
17MIA17-208.35614919013.6%54%
18CAR16-1410.81213268509.1%63%

Production

Receptions30
Targets35
Receiving yards277
Carries173
Rushing yards588
Touchdowns4
Points per game13.85
Yards per target7.91
Catch rate85.71%
Yards per carry3.4

Role

Snap share61.6%
Target share10.71%
Air-yards share-2.07%
WOPR0.145
RACR-3.863

Efficiency

Average depth of target-1.6
Yards after catch per reception12
Yards before catch per reception-2.8
Total YAC360
Broken tackles6
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted128.2
Rushing yards over expected0
Receiving EPA per game0.88
Rushing EPA per game-3.56

Scoring position

Red-zone targets4
Red-zone target share5.6%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share28.1%
Expected receiving TDs0.74
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck0.26
Expected rushing TDs1.36

Where that ranked

Against everyone in the 100+ carries pool that season:

Points per game18 of 49
Yards per target4 of 49
Target share16 of 49
Air-yards share41 of 49

Who else ate

The offense threw it 558 times. 1 team-mate cleared the competing-target threshold.

Emeka Egbuka23.52%
Cade Otton15%
Mike Evans11.48%
Sterling Shepard9.81%
Chris Godwin9.44%
Rachaad White8.33%

2024 · TB · 17 games

His best game was Week 13 against CAR — 27.5 PPR on 28 touches and a 8.8% target share, in a game that finished 26-23. His worst was Week 2 against DET at 2.2, on 7 touches, final score 20-16. Across 17 games he cleared 20 points 3 times and came in under 8 points 4 times. In the 8 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 13.7; in the 9 decided by more, 15. He scored more when the game was not close.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 12.7 points per game. He scored 14.38, 14.3% above it. The engine classified the season as lucky. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 1 against 2.49 expected, a gap of -1.5.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1WAS37-209.62314962010%31%
2DET20-162.200072200%35%
3DEN7-2611.4331497009.4%32%
4PHI33-1612.5126104914.3%42%
5ATL30-365.6221294408.3%43%
6NO51-2718.52224148115.6%64%
7BAL31-4116.7335492316.7%35%
8ATL26-3115.47740944015.2%42%
9KC24-306.4331072409.7%35%
10SF20-2317.733141373110.3%46%
12NYG30-727.266641288120%52%
13CAR26-2327.533332515218.8%54%
14LV28-132.811154303.6%16%
15LAC40-1713.322-41511707.7%44%
16DAL24-2618.23324166817%57%
17CAR48-1423447720113012.5%55%
18NO27-1916.425-51989116.1%72%

Production

Receptions47
Targets52
Receiving yards392
Carries207
Rushing yards1,122
Touchdowns8
Points per game14.38
Yards per target7.54
Catch rate90.38%
Yards per carry5.42

Role

Snap share44.41%
Target share9.13%
Air-yards share-4.6%
WOPR0.105
RACR-1.357

Efficiency

Average depth of target-2.7
Yards after catch per reception11.2
Yards before catch per reception-2.9
Total YAC528
Broken tackles6
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted98.1
Rushing yards over expected0
Receiving EPA per game0.86
Rushing EPA per game1.23

Scoring position

Red-zone targets9
Red-zone target share10.6%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share52.5%
Goal-line carry share53.8%
Expected receiving TDs2.49
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck-1.49
Expected rushing TDs8

Where that ranked

Against everyone in the 100+ carries pool that season:

Points per game19 of 46
Yards per target6 of 46
Target share24 of 46
Air-yards share45 of 46

Who else ate

The offense threw it 571 times. He took 9.24% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Mike Evans19.54%
Cade Otton15.45%
Chris Godwin11.01%
Jalen McMillan10.3%
Rachaad White10.12%
Bucky Irving 9.24%

Blowouts against close games

7 of his 17 games were blowouts, 47.3% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 16.5 in those and 13.68 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

Ask the Coach about Bucky Irving →
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