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Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry fantasy football takes on Bucky Irving
Every source-backed podcast insight STACKED has extracted from Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry about Bucky Irving.
17
Insights
11
Positive
4
Negative
Insight ledger
All Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry insights about Bucky Irving
PositiveRoleOct 26, 2026
Baker Mayfield's return as a veteran quarterback has significantly helped Bucky Irving's run game by getting the Buccaneers into the right looks and managing internal communication; this cerebral quarterback play is an extension of the coaching staff that Jalen Hurts' legs couldn't provide in the same way.PositiveUsageOct 26, 2026
Bucky Irving is a complete workhorse with 24+ opportunities over the past three games and 11 touches with a touchdown in Week 7; he's had three straight games with 21+ touches and 18 red zone touches over the last three games. Despite not being drafted as a bell cow at season start, he's now functioning as one, though people don't discuss his workload as much as Jameer Gibbs or Bichon Robinson.PositiveProjectionOct 22, 2026
Matthew Berry ranks Bucky Irving as running back 12 this week against Carolina, highlighting his elevated role and favorable matchup. Irving had an 85% snap rate last week (a season high) and has gotten 44 touches over his past two games. Carolina allows the fifth-most yards per rush before contact and is bottom-five in fantasy points allowed to running backs. With Baker Mayfield expected back for the Buccaneers, Berry believes the entire offense opens up, but it will still run through Irving. The floor appears to be 15-22 carries, and Irving catches the ball well, which should be utilized more with Baker back.PositiveValueOct 9, 2026
Matthew Berry states that wherever Bucky Irving was drafted, it was a bargain, suggesting his actual production and role have exceeded draft-day expectations.PositiveProjectionOct 9, 2026
Matthew Berry reclassifies Bucky Irving as a low-end RB1 moving forward based on his performance against Dallas; Irving is averaging over 18 touches per game this season with at least 15 in every game, maintains an 11% target share in four of five games (addressing preseason concerns about Kenneth Gainwell limiting his passing-game involvement), and scored a touchdown as a pass catcher in Week 4. Berry notes that Irving had only one goal-line attempt in the first four games but received three in this game, suggesting increased red-zone usage.PositiveProjectionOct 7, 2026
Matthew Berry keeps it open on Bucky Irving as RB 15 this week against Dallas, despite a tough performance last week. Irving commands 75% of the Buccaneers' running back touches, making him a bell cow back. The Cowboys allow running back rushing touchdowns at the seventh-highest rate in the NFL, providing touchdown upside. Berry describes him as a mid-tier RB2.NegativeRoleOct 1, 2026
In the context of Matthew Berry's hate on Emeka Abuka, the co-host mentions that Bucky Irving is being started, suggesting Irving has a role in the Tampa Bay offense under new quarterback Jalen Daniels, though the overall concern about Tampa Bay's offensive uncertainty remains.PositiveProjectionSep 30, 2026
Matthew Berry ranks Irving at RB14 and keeps him open despite Baker Mayfield's injury. Berry expects Tampa Bay to run fairly heavy with Irving, making him productive even with Jalen Daniels taking over at QB.PositiveUsageSep 17, 2026
Bucky Irving is ranked as the RB17 for Week 2. He saw a 26% target share in Week 1 and handled 100% of the team's red zone running back touches, out-routing Kenneth Gainwell.PositiveSleeperSep 10, 2026
Matthew Berry is high on Bucky Irving for Week 1, suggesting the preseason hate went too far and noting the Bengals' poor defensive performance against RBs last season.NegativeUsageSep 2, 2026
Dwayne McFarland expresses skepticism about relying on Bucky Irving as a fantasy RB1, suggesting he is better suited as a depth piece.PositiveValueAug 31, 2026
Nate Tice is buying low on Bucky Irving, noting that despite injury concerns, the team's willingness to play him in the preseason suggests physical optimism, and he expects the offense to be more balanced.NegativeProjectionAug 27, 2026
Matthew Berry is lower on Bucky Irving than his current ADP of 51, citing poor efficiency metrics from last season, including the lowest yards after contact per attempt among RBs with 100+ carries. Berry expects Kenneth Gainwell to cut into Irving's workload, limiting his fantasy ceiling.NegativeUsageAug 26, 2026
Matthew Berry notes that preseason usage suggests the Buccaneers do not intend to involve Bucky Irving in the passing game, which creates a challenge for his fantasy value.NegativeUsageAug 24, 2026
McFarland notes that while Irving is a viable flex or low-end RB2, his fantasy value is highly dependent on game script and pass-catching usage. Historically, Irving averages under 12 fantasy points per game when seeing a single-digit target share, and if Kenneth Gainwell continues to handle passing-down work, Irving faces volatility in trailing game scripts.NegativeUsageAug 24, 2026
Bucky Irving is expected to be the lead early-down back for Tampa Bay, but he is not involved in the passing game, ceding those snaps to Kenneth Gainwell. He is a viable RB2/flex option, but his fantasy ceiling is capped by his lack of target share.PositiveValueAug 5, 2026
Austin Ekeler believes Bucky Irving is worth drafting in the 5th-6th round because he has the upside to reclaim the starting role in Tampa Bay once fully healthy, despite the presence of Kenneth Gainwell.