BuckyIrving

News: 8 hours agoIrving rushed 17 times for 89 yards and brought in all four of his targets for one yard in the Buccaneers' 23-19 loss to the Browns on Sunday.

Spin: For the second time in as many games to open the season, Irving put together a crisp performance on the ground, with Sunday's tally spearheaded by a 38-yard run. The third-year back was also regularly involved in the passing game, but he generated next to nothing with his four catches. The Buccaneers are alarmingly 0-2 heading into a Week 3 home matchup against the Vikings next Sunday, but Irving's role as Tampa Bay's workhorse back is unquestioned approaching that critical early-season clash.

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.