Tampa Bay Buccaneers fourth-round draft pick Bucky Irving had a breakout season of sorts during his rookie campaign.
Splitting time with Rachaad White to start the season, Irving quickly gave the offense a spark and took over most of the carries.
Irving ended the season with 1,122 yards while White posted just more than half of that with 613.
Heading into 2025, Irving should be the clear-cut RB1 on the field. But will he have potential as RB1 on your fantasy football team?
Pro Football Focus asked that same question and did a deep dive comparison between the Colts' Jonathan Taylor and Irving.
"Taylor missed three games in 2024, marking his third consecutive season finishing outside the top 12 fantasy running backs after his overall RB1 finish in 2021. However, he closed the season strong with three straight top-five finishes from Weeks 16 to 18, offering some hope that he can return to elite form in 2025. Still, durability concerns are becoming a more significant factor. Irving exceeded expectations during his rookie campaign, finishing as the RB15 overall in 2024 despite not securing a full-time role until later in the season.
"After ranking as the RB36 through the first five weeks, Irving surged to RB8 in PPR formats from Week 6 onward, showcasing high-end potential if he retains the starting job heading into 2025."
PFF also noted that Taylor is utilized more in the running game for the Colts as the main option, but Irving - and this might change next season - split time carrying the ball. But Irving's opportunities per game increased from 11.9 per game in Weeks 1-9 to 18.9 in Week 10 and on.
Overall, PFF thinks that White's presence might hinder Irving's effectiveness on your fantasy team.
"While Irving is expected to take on a slightly larger role, similar to what we saw in the back half of 2024, there’s still a strong chance White remains involved enough to cap Irving’s ceiling, especially with a new offensive coordinator stepping in."