Buccaneers News: Sean Tucker Won’t Go Away
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker has rarely seen a featured role through his first three seasons in the league, but when given an expanded workload, he has made the most of it.
With Bucky Irving missing time in 2025 due to foot and shoulder injuries, Tucker split work with Rachaad White and carved out a larger share of the Buccaneers’ backfield touches. Tucker’s biggest individual moment came in Week 11, when he turned a career-high touch total into a three-touchdown performance. Once Irving returned in Week 13, Tucker’s workload shrank considerably for the remainder of the season, and he finished the year with 86 carries for 320 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns, adding 8 catches for 34 yards and a score through the air.
Heading into 2026, a healthier Irving is expected to reclaim the lead role in Tampa Bay’s backfield. The Buccaneers also brought in free agent Kenneth Gainwell as a direct replacement for White, who signed with the Commanders. Gainwell led all Steelers running backs with 73 receptions in 2025, positioning him as the passing-down complement to Irving and pushing Tucker back into a third-string role.
That depth chart reality limits Tucker’s value heading into the season. He is not likely to see meaningful touches barring an injury ahead of him, and both Irving and Gainwell project as more featured pieces of the offense in 2026.
Still, Tucker has shown enough in spot duty over the past two seasons to hold some appeal in dynasty formats. He has proven capable of producing fantasy-relevant performances when opportunity arises, which gives him value as a low-cost stash for managers looking to speculate on his path to more touches if either back ahead of him misses time.
For redraft purposes, though, Tucker is not worth rostering unless you have a deep league. He currently sits well outside common startable rankings at the position, reflecting his standing as a deep-bench dynasty piece rather than a player who factors into weekly lineup decisions in 2026.
Ideal target in BestBall, and possibly a mid-season waiver wire claim. NFL training camp could mix things up completely, though, so keep an eye out for Bucs News.
