RB Leonard Fournette led all Buccaneers in targets (11), receptions (10) and receiving yards (83) and scored both of the team's TDs in Sunday's win over the Falcons. He added 56 yards on 14 carries, easily outpacing rookie RB Rachaad White in work. White carried 5 times and drew 4 targets, collecting 42 total yards. But his playing time again sat closer to Fournette than it did through the season's 1st 3 weeks. White played 39% of offensive snaps (compared with 62% for Fournette) and ran just 6 fewer routes (41.5% rate vs. 52.8% for Fournette). The disparity in touches highlights how risky a standalone option White will be in fantasy football lineups as long as Fournette stays healthy. But the narrowed gap also points to how close to a direct replacement the rookie would be if Fournette goes down. White should be rostered wherever possible.
Buccaneers rookie RB Rachaad White saw season highs in total snaps (24) and snap share (38%) in Sunday night's loss to the Chiefs. That marked a big jump over his 15 combined snaps in the previous 2 games. White's Week 1 checked in closer only because he played most of the 4th quarter after Tampa got out to a big lead in Dallas and pulled Leonard Fournette. Game flow might have played a part. White got his 1st touch early in the 2nd quarter, but K.C. already had a 21-3 lead by then. He matched Fournette's 3 carries for the game, which saw the Bucs run on just 17.2% of offensive plays. White ran for a 1-yard TD but watched Fournette claim the 4th-quarter TD reception. We'll see whether White's increased playing time continues.
Bucs RB Leonard Fournette dominated the backfield work in a Week 3 loss to Green Bay. He saw all 12 RB carries and all 6 RB targets, as rookie backup Rachaad White played only 6 snaps. Fournette managed only 70 total yards and fell just shy of popping in a goal line score. But the takeaway should be positive here because of the workload — especially after Fournette was limited in practice with a hamstring. He’ll remain a no-doubt starter for Sunday’s marquee matchup with Kansas City.
The Bucs placed RB Gio Bernard (ankle) on IR, knocking him out for at least 4 games. He's been active the first 2 weeks but hasn't played a snap on offense. RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn figures to take over that role while Bernard is out. Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White are locked in as Tampa's top 2 RBs.
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette handled 24 of the team's 26 RB carries in Sunday's win over the Saints. He managed just 65 yards (2.7 per rush) against a Saints D that didn't give Cordarrelle Patterson much trouble the week before. Fournette added 2 catches for 9 yards on 4 targets. Rachaad White took the other 2 handoffs, gaining 1 yards, and failed to catch either of his 2 targets.
Bucs RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday's practice. We'll keep an eye on this but haven't seen a reason to believe Fournette is in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Saints. We'll update his status again tomorrow.
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette controlled the backfield work in Sunday night's win at Dallas. He handled 21 of 27 RB rushing attempts, gaining 127 yards (6.0 per carry). Five of the 6 carries that rookie Rachaad White did claim came on the team's final 5 rushing attempts of a 13-point victory. Fournette also dominated receiving work out of the backfield, tripling White's routes for the game. This was exactly what you were hoping for if you drafted Fournette in Round 2. And White being the only other RB in the mix points to him being a reserve that should be rostered in nearly all leagues of 10+ teams.
Bucs RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a healthy scratch for tonight's game vs. the Cowboys. Tampa is rolling with RBs Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White and Gio Bernard.
Rachaad White is listed as the Bucs' #2 RB on the Week 1 depth chart. It's not a surprise after White was the 2nd RB to hit the field in the preseason finale -- but the confirmation is nice. We're still not expecting White to see enough action behind a healthy Fournette to be a reliable fantasy play. But a Fournette injury would turn White into a high-upside starter.
Bucs OC Byron Leftwich praised RB Rachaad White on Wednesday. "He's a man's man,” Leftwich said. “To be a young guy, he's really thorough. He's really aware, really smart and plays the game in a physical way. He takes notes like a quarterback. He's a real smart kid that has an understanding and feel for football.” NFL insider Albert Breer tweeted Wednesday that the rookie “will have a role,” adding that White “might be the best pass-game RB” Tom Brady’s had in Tampa Bay. There’s certainly PPR intrigue, especially if you can roster White as an RB5.
Bucs RB Gio Bernard was knocked out of Saturday's preseason opener with an ankle injury. With RB Leonard Fournette sitting, Bernard drew the start over RBs Rachaad White and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. We'll see about the severity of the ankle injury.
We're not done hearing about RB Leonard Fournette's offseason weight gain. Here's what Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times had to say on the subject this week, via the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast: “Coaches were not happy, and that’s an understatement, when (Fournette) didn’t participate in the OTAs, but then he shows up at the mandatory minicamp weighing damn near 260 [pounds]. And that’s not a good sign for a guy that you’ve just spent a three-year contract on.” There's certainly still time for Fournette to get into shape ahead of the regular season. This is a red flag worth keeping in mind, though, given Fournette's history of lower-body injuries and his Round 2 ADP.
The Bucs added Arizona State RB Rachaad White in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft. White spent the past 2 years at Arizona State after transferring from Division II Nebraska-Kearney. White posted nice per-game production in a mere 4-game, COVID-shortened 2020. He broke out as a senior, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 10.6 yards across 43 receptions – with 16 total TDs. He reminds us of a poor man’s David Johnson. White figures to sit behind Leonard Fournette for at least this season but has the upside to eventually develop into Tampa’s lead back.
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