The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue navigating a challenging injury situation as they work through multiple absences that have severely impacted their offensive production. Bucky Irving remains sidelined with the combination of injuries that have kept him out of recent contests. For fantasy football managers who have been waiting for the standout running back’s return, what is his current status moving forward?
Bucky Irving Injury Update
Irving’s injury troubles began during Tampa Bay’s 31-25 setback against Philadelphia in Week 4. The second-year running back sustained a foot sprain during that contest but managed to finish the game while delivering a spectacular 72-yard touchdown reception.
Initially, Irving showed no visible signs of distress as he completed the Eagles game without apparent restrictions. However, concerns emerged on Monday when head coach Todd Bowles announced that Irving would need MRI examination to assess the extent of the injury.
The foot problem alone was expected to sideline Irving for several weeks. Reports later revealed a more concerning development when ESPN’s Adam Schefter disclosed that Irving is also dealing with a shoulder subluxation that he hadn’t reported to the team until Tuesday of that week.
According to Schefter, the shoulder injury constitutes “more of an issue than his sprained foot” and was projected to keep Irving out for a minimum of two weeks. This makes the shoulder subluxation, rather than the foot sprain, the primary barrier to his immediate return.
Irving has now missed both Week 5’s contest against Seattle and Week 6’s matchup with San Francisco. He did not participate in any practice sessions leading up to Sunday’s victory over the 49ers, confirming his unavailability for that game.
Monday brought definitive news regarding Irving’s Week 7 status when Bowles stated that the running back is “not in play” for next week’s game against Detroit. This removes any ambiguity about his availability for the upcoming Monday Night Football contest.
The shoulder subluxation creates joint instability after partial dislocation, which would be particularly problematic for a running back who regularly lowers his shoulder to break tackles and absorb contact during games.
When Irving’s injuries first occurred, the most likely scenario projected was a return after Tampa Bay’s Week 9 bye week. That timeline remains the current expectation, with Irving definitively out for Week 7 and unlikely to play in Week 8 either.
Irving Fantasy Outlook
Irving had established himself as Tampa Bay’s undisputed RB1 since claiming the role from Rachaad White late last season. Through four games before his injury, he had accumulated 430 yards from scrimmage, ranking sixth in the NFL at any position.
Fantasy managers should maintain confidence in Irving as an RB1 option for the season’s second half when he returns to full health. He continues to be viewed as both the present and future solution in Tampa Bay’s backfield.
However, managers must continue securing replacement options for at least two more weeks, with his return timeline extending potentially through the bye week in Week 9.
White has assumed complete control of Tampa Bay’s backfield duties during Irving’s absence. In Week 5 against Seattle, White commanded 80% of the snaps while Sean Tucker contributed just 21% in a supporting role. White played a similar 77% of the snaps in Week 6.
This workload distribution has remained consistent, with White handling the vast majority of touches while Tucker serves primarily as a change-of-pace option to provide occasional rest periods.
Fantasy managers should continue utilizing White as a high-end RB2 option for at least the next two weeks. His role becomes even more valuable now that the Buccaneers are missing all four of their top receivers, though there’s a chance Mike Evans could return this week.
White will remain an inefficient, touchdown-dependent option, but his guaranteed workload makes him a reliable weekly starter. Fantasy managers should enjoy his production over the next two weeks while expecting him to return to a backup role once Irving is healthy.
Tucker’s minimal involvement keeps him as primarily a deep league consideration rather than a standalone fantasy asset during this period.