Fantasy football: Bucky Irvings breakout could be upon us

What is one thing better than looking ahead to a bright future you are certain is to come? When that future hurries to get to you more quickly than anticipated. Need an example? How about the Houston Texans? No one thought they were going to rise from the sewers of the league to become an instant contender last season.Sure, they drafted a franchise QB of the future, but few thought that future was really the present. This can happen at times in on the fantasy front, too.

Think Lions tight end Sam LaPorta last season.People thought he would become a leading fantasy asset at that position, eventually.

But he did it right away. Others take a little longer.They might be parked behind a starter, but when they get their chance, they skip to the front of the fantasy line.

One such scenario involves rookie Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving. Currently, he is best utilized as a handcuff to entrenched starter Rachaad White.But anyone who peruses boxscores or steals a glance at advanced stats is aware of the terrible inefficiency of White. Last season, White had nine broken tackles, according to Pro Football Reference — on 272 rush attempts.

For comparison, Travis Etienne Jr.lead the league with 31 broken tackles, on five fewer attempts.

Zach Charbonnet had one more with 10 broken tackles, and he had just 108 carries. White averaged a woeful 3.7 yards per carry in 2023, tied for 80th among all running backs — along with Tyler Allgeier, just ahead of DeeJay Dallas. So far this season, White is even worse, much worse — 2.0 per carry.Irving, meanwhile, has gotten roughly 40 percent of the RB rush attempts for the Bucs, and he has averaged 5.3 — more than twice what White is gaining per carry. The reason behind the difference is interesting.

Neither have broken a bunch of tackles (both have just one).White is actually doing noticeably better after contact, with 50 YAC yards compared to just 31 for Irving. Where there is a stark difference in Irving’s fa...