Buccaneers RB Rachaad White tallied 73 yards and a TD on 17 carries (4.3 per rush) in Sunday's win over the Bears. He added 5 receptions for 30 yards on 5 targets. White claimed 22 of 32 total RB opportunities for the Bucs (68.8%) and accounted for 84.4% of total RB yards in the game. Sean Tucker ranked second with 8 carries but managed just 7 yards. Chase Edmonds carried twice for 12 yards. White's role is the biggest thing going for him right now, but his Week 2 production was encouraging. Tampa Bay hosts Philly and then visits New Orleans before a Week 5 bye.
Bucs RB Rachaad White wasn’t productive in a Week 1 win over Minnesota, totaling only 49 yards. Yet his workload — 19 touches —should have fantasy owners encouraged. Backup Sean Tucker saw only 7 touches, while Chase Edmonds mixed in for just 2. White draws an improved Bears front seven in Week 2, but he'll likely stick on the RB2 radar.
Bucs OC Dave Canales recently called RB Rachaad White a "fantastic back." He added that there are a "bunch of good backs" behind White, referring the Sean Tucker, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, and Chase Edmonds. The conclusion here is that White enters the season as Tampa's clear backfield leader. Canales added, "I think there's more to learn about just how we use Rachaad on third down." White continues to look like a strong value in fantasy drafts -- and a RB2 with upside to open the year.
Per Bucs reporter JC Allen, RB Sean Tucker will open the season as the backup to Rachaad White. This was the expectation based on recent practice reports. White remains an RB2 fantasy target, while Tucker slides in as a late-round handcuff.
Sports Illustrated's Ben Meyerson recently reported that Buccaneers rookie RB Sean Tucker was splitting first-team reps with teammate Rachaad White. Meyerson quickly clarifies it was only during one drive but that it's "definitely something to monitor." The UDFA from Syracuse likely would've been a solid pick in the 2023 NFL Draft had it not been for a rumored heart condition. We mention this because Tucker, despite not being drafted, is a very talented player in a backfield without much depth behind White, the presumed starter. In addition to his rushing acumen, Tucker has some appeal as a pass-catcher. He ranked sixth in receiving market share (15.8%) among all Power 5 conference RBs in 2022 and could provide enough value as the RB2 in Tampa Bay to warrant late-round consideration in deeper leagues. See where these Bucs backs appear in our current RB rankings.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler confirms that Bucs WR Russell Gage will miss the entire 2023 season with the knee injury he suffered in Wednesday's practice. Gage was locked into Tampa's No. 3 WR job before this injury. The Bucs are now left with WRs Trey Palmer, Deven Thompkins, David Moore, and Rakim Jarrett to battle for that job. Palmer is an intriguing rookie and might be worth a look near the very end of best-ball drafts. Gage's injury should mean extra targets for WR Chris Godwin, WR Mike Evans, RB Rachaad White, and TE Cade Otton. We've adjusted all the Bucs in the 2023 fantasy football rankings.
Update: Gage suffered a ruptured right patellar tendon.
Bucs rookie Sean Tucker is “a bit behind” the team’s other RBs in terms of learning the offense, per beat writer Scott Reynolds. Tucker missed the entire offseason program because of a heart issue, and for now, he appears no higher than fourth on the depth chart. Reynolds calls Ke’Shawn Vaughn the current No. 2 back behind Rachaad White, with Chase Edmonds “coming on strong" at camp.
The Bucs see "star potential" in RB Rachaad White, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes. "Not only will he get a heavy workload rushing, but the Bucs have been expanding his route tree, believing he can inflict damage as a receiver," Fowler adds. We have little doubt that White can excel as a receiver. He looked like the best pass-catching RB in the 2022 draft class and then caught 50 balls as a rookie. The bigger question is whether White can get it done on the ground after an underwhelming 2022 in that department. But it sounds like the Bucs plan on giving him every chance to prove himself. White sits well ahead of ADP in our fantasy football rankings.
Bucs RB Rachaad White got the "three-down back" label from OC Dave Canales. “I think the one thing that I’ve seen from him first-hand is just how versatile he is,” Canales said on a recent podcast appearance. “He’s got smooth hands. He’s got great vision and pace, patience in the hole, and then he’s got like he’s got some really cool hidden power. ... So I’m really excited to see like how we can utilize him in different ways, getting him the ball in space different ways. He’s exciting. Rachaad’s really exciting to think about how to use and see what kind of back we could have. He’s a three-down back." White underwhelmed as a runner last year, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and ranking outside the top 40 RBs in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, Elusive Rating, and NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. But he caught 50 passes -- the 10th most by a rookie RB over last 10 seasons -- and ranked 13th among 43 qualifying RBs in PFF receiving grade. Most importantly, the Bucs didn't add any legitimate competition to the backfield this offseason, giving White the opportunity to see a bunch of volume this year. He makes a lot of sense at his current sixth-round ADP.
Bucs OC Dave Canales called Ke'Shawn Vaughn his #2 RB. "He’s our two, and he’s a fantastic runner," Canales said on a recent podcast appearance. "Just quick feet in the hole, sturdy build. And he’s just got a real natural feel for it." Tampa signed RB Chase Edmonds to a 1-year, $1.2 million deal in free agency, but Vaughn will at least open training camp ahead of him on the depth chart. Vaughn has underwhelmed in limited opportunities through three NFL seasons, but any #2 RB is worth paying attention to -- especially a #2 RB behind an unproven starter in Rachaad White.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White looks like he's in line for as many touches as he can handle this season. The team dumped Leonard Fournette in the offseason and signed only Chase Edmonds. Tampa Bay also didn't draft a RB, adding only undrafted free agents Sean Tucker and Ronnie Brown. So what's not to like about White? He wasn't good last year. Among 51 RBs who carried 90+ times, White ranked 46th in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, 41st in elusive rating and 45th in rush yards over expected per attempt. An O-line that ranked just 28th in Football Outsiders' adjusted line yards didn't help. That group could improve, with C Ryan Jensen back healthy and second-round rookie G Cody Mauch entering the mix. But that group doesn't look likely to be a strength. The QB switch should mean a higher rushing rate. The Bucs ranked last in the league in run rate each of the past two years. Expect that to change with Tom Brady gone. So White could be set for big touch volume, which would make him at least decent as a fantasy option, even if he remains inefficient. But it's also possible we get surprising production from some other member(s) of the backfield. And Tampa Bay could still add a RB. White makes plenty of sense low in RB2 territory in the 2023 RB rankings. Just don't reach for him too early.
RB Sean Tucker has signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. We heard earlier this week that Tucker was flagged for a heart issue, which has seemingly been confirmed by him going undrafted. We’ll keep an eye on that situation, but this is at least a decent landing spot with Tampa’s RB corps consisting of Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. For a guy standing 5’9, and 207 pounds, Tucker plays like a track runner and isn’t afraid to confront potential tacklers in tight running lanes. Tucker’s effectiveness is a bit of a mixed bag, but his sophomore season at Syracuse in 2021 showed fantasy managers what he’s capable of at his best. Tucker led the ACC with 1,496 rushing yards that year, finishing 4th among all NCAA RBs with 44 runs of 10+ yards.
The Bucs signed RB Chase Edmonds to a one-year deal. It's for the veteran minimum, according to Fox Sports' Greg Auman, which means Edmonds will make about $1.1 million in 2023. The soon-to-be 27-year-old has a pair of 40+ catch seasons on his resume but has yet to top 116 carries or 592 rushing yards in a season. He split his 2022 between Miami and Denver, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and ranking 59th among 67 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades. Edmonds looks like just an insurance policy on RB Rachaad White, who figures to get first crack at Tampa's lead job this season.
The Bucs plan to release RB Leonard Fournette on March 15, the first day of the new league year, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. The move will save the rebuilding Bucs $3.47 million against the 2023 salary cap. Fournette remained reliable in the passing game last year, hauling in 73 of 83 targets for 523 yards (7.2 YPC). But he mustered just 3.5 yards per carry and ranked bottom 4 among 51 qualifiers in both Pro Football Focus' Elusive Rating and NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. The 28-year-old figures to land a committee job on the open market and isn't an exciting pick in early best-ball drafts. The Bucs, meanwhile, are left with RB Rachaad White atop the depth chart for now. He caught 50 balls as a rookie last year but averaged just 5.8 yards per catch. White was only a little better than Fournette on the ground, averaging 3.7 yards per carry while ranking 41st in Elusive Rating and 45th in Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. We'll see what else the Bucs add to the backfield this offseason.
The Bucs are hiring Dave Canales as their new OC. The 41-year-old has spent the past 13 seasons working under Pete Carroll, first at USC and then with Seattle. Canales most recently served as Seahawks QBs coach, helping QB Geno Smith to a career year. But Canales' only experience as an offensive coordinator came at Carson High School in California in 2004 and 2005. He's a total wild card as we start to project what this Bucs offense will look like in 2023. We're also, of course, still waiting to see what Tampa does at QB. Kyle Trask is the only QB currently on the roster.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White led the team in rushing with 41 yards on 7 attempts in Monday’s Wild Card loss vs. the Cowboys. Teammate RB Leonard Fournette struggled mightily, tallying a mere 11 yards on 5 carries. White added some value as a receiver with 4 catches on 6 targets and 36 yards, whereas Fournette only managed 1 catch for 8 yards. The Cowboys’ defense took the life out of the Bucs’ rushing attack. The combined 52 rushing yards are the lowest total the Buccaneers’ offense has produced since Week 10 vs. the Seahawks in Munich. Looking ahead to 2023, the Buccaneers have an out in Fournette’s contract that would only incur a $1.5 million cap hit if they choose to move on this offseason. Should upcoming free agent QB Tom Brady move onto another team or retire, don’t be surprised to see Fournette hit the free agent market too. There's a window for the rookie White to seize a larger role in the future.
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette dominated the backfield work in Sunday night's OT win over the Cardinals. He carried 20 times for 72 yards, vs. just 7-36 rushing for RB Rachaad White. Fournette also caught a team-high 9 passes for a team-high 90 yards, tying WR Chris Godwin for the target lead at 10. White caught all 4 of his targets for 17 yards, including the team's lone offensive TD. Fournette played 20 more snaps than White and will be the better bet among Bucs RBs for a Week 17 home date with the Panthers.
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette carried the ball 11 times for 44 yards on top of hauling in 4 receptions for 30 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. Rookie Rachaad White split the workload with Fournette in Week 15, logging 11 carries for 38 yards and a single catch for 5 yards. Neither Fournette nor White had particularly effective fantasy games as the Buccanners offense fell apart in the second half. However, managers should feel good about a Week 16 showdown against a Cardinals defense that ranks 6th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs this season. Both Bucs backs should be in RB2/flex consideration next week, with the edge going to Fournette.
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