Despite a Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers noticed a pleasant spark from their backfield, amid the absence of star running back Bucky Irving. Third-year running back Sean Tucker saw the majority of the workload in a breakout performance last week, setting himself up for an expanded role as Irving is set to miss yet another game in Week 12.
Tampa Bay will gear up for a crucial matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, with Tucker slated to see a notable workload once again. After entering the season as Tampa Bay’s RB3, the Syracuse product emerged as the offense’s premier weapon versus Buffalo, after splitting carries with veteran back Rachaad White for much of the season.
In 19 carries, Tucker racked up a career-high 106 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. He also showed receiving versatility in the passing game, hauling in both of his targets for 34 yards and a third touchdown. In fantasy football, his 34.0 points among PPR leagues marked an RB2 finish in Week 12.
With another week of sustained production, Tucker could emerge as one of the top sleepers in fantasy football after flying under the radar coming into the season. Here’s how the Buccaneers back could emerge as a fantasy football league winner down the stretch of the season.
Buccaneers RB Sean Tucker Is A Fantasy Football League Winner
Tucker came into the season with an Average Draft Position of just 305.0 among PPR leagues, with a positional ranking of RB85, according to FantasyPros’ ADP data. Despite inconsistent volume, he’s already vastly outperformed his ADP over recent weeks, finishing among the top-26 running backs in fantasy in three of his last five games.
Given White’s inefficient play in Irving’s absence, Tucker could see another bump in workload this week and take over as the team’s leading back as the second-year starter continues to work his way back. Monitoring his recent production, he may have cemented his role regardless of Irving’s status as the starter.
While his volume could waver upon Irving’s return, his strong efficiency presents a safe floor for production, even as RB2 in Tampa Bay’s offense. Down the stretch of the season, Tucker could be considered a solid option at FLEX, or RB2 depending on the depth of any given fantasy lineup.
It’s hard to predict his outlook over the next several games, but Sunday night’s clash versus Los Angeles presents a start opportunity for the third-year back in fantasy. Fantasy owners can remain bullish on Tucker’s fantasy output as he continues to prove his value as a league-winner.
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