Tank Bigsby or Bucky Irving Week 9 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football projections for RBs

Tank Bigsby has been one of the rare good things for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. The second-year running back has done a great job in the absence of starter Trevor Etienne, playing much better than the former first-round pick.

As the Jaguars once again start to explore a roster rebuild, Etienne has been pointed out by many NFL analysts as a possible trade asset until the trade deadline on Tuesday, November 5. Bigsby's performance is exciting for his fantasy managers as well.

On the other hand, Bucky Irving's performance has been difficult in recent weeks. The Buccaneers' offense has gone through unwanted changes, with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out with injuries. As such, teams are better prepared to load the box and stop the running game.

Tank Bigsby fantasy outlook for Week 9

The Jaguars' offense has not played as expected, but this is not important for fantasy measures. In a season full of disappointments, Bigsby emerged nicely for the team, putting in an excellent average of 5.8 yards per carry, the fourth-highest amount between running backs in the league.

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Many things point to a favorable game for the running back in Week 9. On average, the Eagles' defense allows 4.5 yards per carry, a high number. But more importantly, the Jaguars are set to be without Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas in this game, putting even more emphasis on the running game.

He's certain to have a high volume of carries and this bodes well for fantasy football.

Bucky Irving fantasy outlook for Week 9

His numbers look great overall, but context matters. The Buccaneers have lost both of their elite receiving options, and as such, defenses are focusing more on Irving.

He finished the previous two games with just 67 rushing yards and, against a strong Kansas City Chiefs defense, who allows just 3.5 yards per carry, it will be extremely difficult for him to explode and have a great performance.

Whom should I start between Tank Bigsby and Bucky Irving in Week 9?

The advantage is clear for the Jaguars' running back, who has a more favorable matchup and has been performing better in recent weeks.

It does look close with Irving having the advantage in receiving yards, but it's unlikely he'll be much of a factor against an unit led by Steve Spagnuolo.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Jaguars Fans! Check out the latest Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule and dive into the Jaguars Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Henrique Bulio