Bucky Irving fantasy football outlook for 2024: Is Buccaneers RB a safe pick this year?

Bucky Irving was selected 125th by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He will potentially add another legitimate option to their running backs as the team lacked depth at the position last year.

Rookies often carry more risk than most other players in fantasy football due the unknown factors of their workload and how their skillsets will translate to the NFL. Irving is certainly a risky pick this year, but his explosive style also gives him some upside ahead of the 2024 season. Here's where his fantasy outlook currently stands.

Breaking down Bucky Irving's fantasy football outlook for 2024

Bucky Irving

Bucky Irving spent the first year of his college football career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers before transferring to the Oregon Ducks for his final two seasons. After failing to make much of an impact with his first team, he was impressive in two consecutive campaigns with the Ducks. This included averaging seven yards per touch during that time, demonstrating his explosiveness.

During those final two seasons, Irving turned in 2,950 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns on his way to establishing himself as one of the top running back prospects in this year's draft class. Being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers creates an interesting situation for his potential value in fantasy football.

His big-play abilities give him plenty of upside, but finding a large enough workload this year could be challenging for Irving. The Buccaneers already have Rachaad White, who served as their featured back last year, but he struggled to just 3.6 yards per carry. This could create a potentially split-backfield situation, which could brighten Irving's fantasy outlook.

Where should you draft Bucky Irving this year?

Bucky Irving will carry fantasy value into drafts this year due to his overall upside and realistic potential at a relevant workload. While he is surely more valuable in Dynasty Fantasy Football, as basically all rookies are, he also has value in traditional season-long formats. He makes sense as a strong late-round running back to target in both formats.

Managers considering Irving in their fantasy drafts this year should reference Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool. This will help them to compare his fantasy projections to other relevant options and make a more informed decision on whether or not he is the right pick when they are on the clock during their drafts.