Bucky Irving or Mark Andrews: Who Should You Start?
Preliminary board2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.
Irving’s three-down role edges Andrews’ better scoring environment
Start Bucky Irving: his feature-back workload gives him more ways to cash in than Mark Andrews’ otherwise attractive setup. Irving’s 70% snap share and 18% target share support a three-down role, matching the passing-game outlet highlighted by buccaneers.com 2026-09-17. Andrews has the better team environment and a stronger target share, and his red-zone mismatch profile makes him a strong TE1, but the position gap makes his lower projection harder to overcome. The risk for Irving is Tampa Bay’s more modest scoring outlook; a touchdown-heavy outcome for Baltimore flips the feel quickly.
What flips it: A confirmed reduction in Irving’s passing-game role.
Sources: buccaneers.com · Sep 17, 2026
AI editor
Bucky Irving
12.614.215.8 Projected Points
Mark Andrews
6.38.310.2 Projected Points
Bucky Irving’s market
Mark Andrews’s market
Why Bucky Irving
Start· mediumRB1 and feature back. Elusive one-cut runner with excellent contact balance and pass-game usage.
70% snaps and an 18% target share make Irving a three-down workhorse; 15.8 projected points plays as a clear RB2 even into a top-10 run defense.
- Three-down usage protects Irving if Tampa Bay’s rushing lanes disappoint.
- His receiving role gives him a path to points without needing a goal-line score.
The call
- Role is locked in: 70% snap share and an 18% target share out of the RB slot mean volume in both the run game and the passing game, which is exactly the PPR profile you want.
- The 15.8-point projection outruns his RB22 consensus rank, so the market is behind the usage here — that's a start over a typical 12-team replacement.
- Matchup is the one wart: Minnesota grades 9 of 32 in DvP composite, but that's a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it shouldn't override a proven workload.
- A 1.5-point favorite with a 23.0 implied total keeps the game script neutral-to-positive — no blowout risk either way, and Tampa Bay can lean on him late if it leads.
Latest on Irving
As our three-way competition to predict the Buccaneers' weekly standout player continues, we get two picks on offense and our first selection of the year for first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr.
Against the Bengals in Week One, Bucky Irving showcased his versatile skillset, reminiscent of his production at Oregon
Bucky Irving's first start of 2026 is a sign of good things to come
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Mark Andrews
Start· mediumTE1 and red-zone mismatch. Veteran seam-stretcher with strong hands and quarterback rapport.
25% target share and a 27.0 implied team total make Andrews a weekly TE1 play despite the modest TE15 consensus tag.
- Andrews’ red-zone mismatch role can turn Baltimore’s higher scoring outlook into a multi-touchdown ceiling.
- A 25% target share keeps Andrews live even if Dallas limits his deep seam work.
The call
- A 25% target share on 72% of snaps is elite TE volume — he's the focal point of this passing game, not a rotational piece.
- A 27.0 implied team total in a 2.5-point favorite spot means plenty of possessions and red-zone work, where Andrews has always paid off.
- The Dallas matchup grades 20 of 32 (mildly favorable), though the 2-game sample carries no real confidence yet — treat it as neutral, not a boost.
- Risk is the TE15 projection of 10.2: this is a volume-driven TD-or-bust profile, but no injury designation and a locked-in role beat any replacement-level TE.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Bucky Irving | Mark Andrews |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 12.614.215.8 | 6.38.310.2 |
| Consensus rank | RB22 | TE15 |
| Opponent vs position | MIN · 9 of 322-game sample | DAL · 20 of 322-game sample |
| Rushing Yards | 13 of 32 | — |
| Rushing TDs | 1 of 32 | — |
| Rushing Attempts | 18 of 32 | — |
| Receptions | 6 of 32 | 21 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 17 of 32 | 18 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 1 of 32 | 26 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | — | 26 of 32 |
| Targets | — | 11 of 32 |
| Target share | 18% | 25% |
| Reception share | 25% | 26% |
| Implied total · spread | 23.0-1.5 | 27.0-2.5 |
| Depth chart | RB1 | TE1 |
| Snap share | 70% | 72% |
| Start/Sit record | 1–0+1 toss-up | 1–1 |
Recent form
Bucky Irving — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs CLE | 9.011.013.0 |
| Week 1 | vs CIN | 13.316.820.3 |
Mark Andrews — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs NO | 4.97.910.9 |
| Week 1 | vs IND | 4.96.98.9 |
Signal breakdown
- 15.8 vs 10.2 projected PPR pointsBucky Irving +
- Rank 22 vs 15Mark Andrews +
- Opponent DvP rank 9 vs 20 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 23.0 vs 27.0 team pointsMark Andrews +
- No injury designationseven
- 70% vs 72% snap shareMark Andrews +
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