Coming into the season, it was believed that most of Bucky Irving’s value would be derived from his position as Rachaad White’s handcuff. Well, that might no longer be the case.
To me, it’s crucial that Bowles specifically mentioned Irving getting more snaps, as opposed to something vague about the rookie “having a larger role.” That’s because Irving’s snap rate has been one of the most consistent things in football through three weeks. Despite the fourth-round pick averaging 6.2 yards per rushing attempt — the second-highest mark of any RB with at least 25 carries — Irving’s snap share in Week 3 was 31.6%. His snap rate in Week 2 was 35.4%. It was 31.3% in Week 1. Imagine the upside Irving could provide if he was seeing something closer to a 50/50 split.
That being said, there’s always a drawback. It’s harder to maintain Irving’s elite levels of efficiency with more volume. Currently, the 22-year-old is producing 0.42 PPR fantasy points per snap, a figure that places Irving just back of names like Jonathan Taylor (0.44) and Saquon Barkley (0.44). It would be difficult for Irving to stay as fantasy relevant without more goal line work or a larger role in the passing game. On the former, Irving did receive his first red zone carry against the Broncos. On the latter, Bowles stated that the team still trusts White more in pass protection situations, which could limit Irving’s chances of seeing the field as a third down back.
In any case, if Irving is still on your waiver wire, you should be making it a priority to pick him up. His floor is an elite handcuff. However, as he continues to curry favor with the coaching staff, he has immediate value as a fringy RB2.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
