Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Poised to lead backfield
Rotowire
As the Buccaneers' offseason program commences this week, White profiles as the team's No. 1 running back, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.
With last season's top rusher Leonard Fournette no longer with the team, White appears poised to see an expanded role this coming season in a Tampa Bay backfield that also includes Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Chase Edmonds and Patrick Laird. It's possible that the Bucs could add RB depth in the upcoming NFL Draft, but as things stand, White, who has drawn the praise of GM Jason Licht this offseason, appears to be in a position have an opportunity to secure a lead role, a context that would yield increased volume for the 2022 third-rounder, who carried 129 times for 481 yards and a TD while adding 50 catches (on 58 targets) for 290 yards and a pair of receiving scores in 17 games last season.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Garners 77 total yards in loss
Rotowire
White rushed seven times for 41 yards and secured four of six targets for 36 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night.
White logged two more carries than veteran backfield mate Leonard Fournette and was considerably more productive, averaging 5.9 yards per carry to his teammate's 2.2 figure. White also continued to demonstrate his value as a pass catcher after finishing the regular season with 50 receptions for 290 yards and two touchdowns alongside 481 rushing yards and a score on 129 carries through 17 games. Looking ahead to 2023, White could take on a clear lead-back role, although with Fournette holding a manageable cap hit of $8.5 million, he might return as well.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Four carries in finale
Rotowire
White rushed four times for 15 yards in the Buccaneers' 30-17 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.
White was one of several Buccaneers offensive starters who put in less than a full workday in a game that was nothing more than a postseason tune-up for Tampa Bay. The rookie should enjoy a solid role in next weekend's home wild-card matchup after logging double-digit carries and receptions in three of the four games prior to Sunday's finale.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
Rotowire
One of the most obvious Bucs to earn some extra rest in a meaningless Week 17 game is Leonard Fournette. He and White effectively split reps last week, and White handled a slight majority on third and fourth downs, but Fournette remained the preferred back inside the 10 (one snap out of seven for White). In a meaningless matchup, the rookie White could end up logging the most work of any Bucs running back, and the Falcons have given up 5.1 yards per carry and 8.0 yards per catch over their past five games. He's got 12-point PPR upside.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Logs 16 total touches in win
Rotowire
White carried 11 times for 22 yards and brought in all five targets for 26 yards in the Buccaneers' 30-24 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
White was stymied on the ground but was able to make some solid contributions through the air. The rookie's touch count outpaced Leonard Fournette's by two, although as past weeks have shown, that can change from game to game. It remains to be seen what White's Week 18 workload against the Falcons will be, as whether the Buccaneers can improve playoff positioning with a victory will likely be a major factor.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Garners 53 total yards in win
Rotowire
White rushed seven times for 36 yards and brought in all four targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 19-16 overtime win over the Cardinals on Sunday night.
White played a clear second fiddle to backfield mate Leonard Fournette, who recorded 29 total touches to the rookie's 11. White still found a way to make a critical contribution, however, as his three-yard touchdown reception on third down with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation began the Buccaneers' comeback in earnest. White should continue to enjoy a solid complementary role at minimum in a pivotal Week 17 home clash against the Panthers, though how it will compare to Fournette's workload remains to be seen.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Struggles in start
Rotowire
White rushed 11 times for 38 yards and caught one of two targets for five yards in Sunday's 34-23 loss to the Bengals.
It was a tough draw on paper for White and the Buccaneers' rushing attack, and the matchup lived up to the billing. White technically started the contest, but he saw a near-even split in touches with Leonard Fournette (12 to 14). The third-round pick from this year's draft has performed adequately since taking on a larger role to help the struggling Fournette, but neither back can truly thrive while the other cannibalizes carries. Both White and Fournette should be considered fringe fantasy options ahead of Sunday's tilt against Arizona.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Leading rusher in loss
Rotowire
White carried the ball 13 times for 56 yards and caught all five of his targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 35-7 loss to the 49ers.
It was a tough day overall for the Buccaneers offense, but White still led the club in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage while seeing 18 touches to Leonard Fournette's 10. Fournette dealt with a foot injury during the week that may have limited his workload, but a backfield timeshare won't do much for either RB's fantasy upside Week 15 against a Bengals defense that just held Nick Chubb to 34 rushing yards on 14 carries.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
White and Leonard Fournette aren't great starts in non- and 0.5-PPR leagues this week, but they are worth using as at least flex options in PPR. What happened in Week 13 against New Orleans is probably a sign of things to come for Week 14 at San Francisco with how Tom Brady leaned on both running backs in the passing game. White had six catches for 41 yards and a touchdown on eight targets against the Saints, and Fournette had six catches for 32 yards on seven targets. The Buccaneers won't run on the 49ers, but White and Fournette should make plays in the passing game.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
White can be an amazing Fantasy asset if Leonard Fournette (foot) is out. Fournette missed practice Friday, and his status for Week 14 at San Francisco is now in doubt. Without Fournette, White would be a top-15 running back in all leagues, with his value higher in PPR. Fournette was out in Week 12 at Cleveland, and White had 14 carries for 64 yards, along with nine catches for 45 yards on nine targets. But if Fournette plays then White is a low-end PPR option and at least a flex play in all formats. What happened in Week 13 against New Orleans is probably a sign of things to come for Week 14 with how Tom Brady leaned on both running backs in the passing game. White had six catches for 41 yards and a touchdown on eight targets against the Saints, and Fournette had six catches for 32 yards on seven targets. The Buccaneers won't run on the 49ers, but White and Fournette should make plays in the passing game.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Game-winning TD in comeback win
Rotowire
White rushed nine times for 28 yards and secured six of eight targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 17-16 win over the Saints on Monday night. He also lost a fumble.
White and the returning Leonard Fournette split the work nearly evenly on the ground, with the latter logging one additional carry. In turn, the rookie drew one more target than his veteran teammate, gained nine more receiving yards on the same number of catches and also recorded the game-winning touchdown on a six-yard grab with three seconds remaining. White's level of involvement with Fournette available is encouraging from a fantasy perspective, but both backs could struggle to provide meaningful production against the 49ers' league-best run defense in Week 14.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: More competition for reps
Rotowire
White will welcome back Leonard Fournette (hip) for Monday's game versus the Saints, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Fournette sat out Week 12 due to a hip pointer, which pushed White into the lead role in the Buccaneers backfield over the team's last two contests. During that span, the rookie racked up 36 carries for 168 yards, nine catches on nine targets for 45 yards and no touchdowns. White will cede some reps to Fournette in his return, but his recent success should keep him in the game plan.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Logs 23 touches in start
Rotowire
White rushed 14 times for 64 yards and secured all nine targets for 45 yards in the Buccaneers' 23-17 overtime loss to the Browns on Sunday.
White drew the start with Leonard Fournette (hip) out of action and delivered nicely as both a runner and receiver. The matchup on the ground wasn't as welcoming as it appeared on paper coming in, however, as White gained only 29 yards on 13 carries outside of a game-long 35-yard run. Nevertheless, the rookie's stellar work as a receiver led to a very productive fantasy day overall, as well as the second-highest reception tally on the Buccaneers for the day. Even if Fournette is able to suit up for a Week 13 Monday night home divisional matchup against the Saints, it's highly likely White fills the role of top back for that contest.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Locked in as Week 12 starter
Rotowire
White is scheduled to make his second consecutive start Sunday against the Browns with Leonard Fournette (hip) having been downgraded from doubtful to out in advance of the contest, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Even before Fournette departed in the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers' last game Week 10 in London against the Seahawks, White appeared to work his way into a timeshare with the veteran back. The rookie provided a spark to a rushing attack that had languished for most of the season, carrying 22 times for 105 yards in the Buccaneers' 21-16 win. With Fournette not yet healthy coming out of a Week 11 bye, White looks like he'll be the clear lead runner for Tampa Bay on Sunday, with Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard offering depth behind him. Though White has displayed some pass-catching chops with 20 receptions for 135 yards on 25 targets this season, Bernard is an accomplished third-down back in his own right. With that in mind, the Buccaneers might not be eager to hand White a true three-down workload Sunday, so his fantasy ceiling this week may be lower in PPR formats. White profiles as a strong option in the majority of leagues nonetheless while he faces off against a Browns defense that has struggled to stop the run this season.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
Leonard Fournette (hip) is considered doubtful for Week 12 at Cleveland, which means White will take over as the lead running back for Tampa Bay coming off the bye in Week 11. Now, White gets to build off his last game when he was the best running back for the Buccaneers in Week 10 against Seattle in Germany. Fournette injured his hip against the Seahawks, and White finished the game with 22 carries for 105 yards. White can run away with the starting job if he plays well against the Browns. And Cleveland has allowed five running backs to score at least 12 PPR points in the past three games.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Lead role awaits Week 12
Rotowire
White is expected to serve as Tampa Bay's lead running back Sunday against the Browns with Leonard Fournette (hip) listed as doubtful for the contest, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Even if Fournette hadn't exited in the second half of the Buccaneers' last game Week 10 against the Seahawks in Munich due to the hip pointer, White may have pushed his way into at least a timeshare with the veteran back based on how he performed in Germany. White took a career-high 22 carries for 105 yards in the win over Seattle, and he now looks poised to get another chance to see a high-volume role out of the backfield with Fournette unlikely to be available in anything more than a limited capacity if he's active Sunday. Beyond White, the Buccaneers have Ke'Shawn Vaughn on hand to serve as a substitute, while Giovani Bernard (ankle) could be reinstated from injured reserve to serve as an option on passing downs. Even though he didn't draw a target in Munich, White displayed some prowess as a pass catcher in Weeks 4 through 9, when he turned in an 18-128-0 receiving line on 21 targets over a six-game stretch.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
It appears like White will take over as the lead running back for Tampa Bay coming off the bye in Week 11, and White was the best running back for the Buccaneers the last time they played in Week 10 against Seattle in Germany. Leonard Fournette injured his hip against the Seahawks, and White finished the game with 22 carries for 105 yards. If he stays in the lead role against the Browns, White should be considered a strong flex play in all leagues. Fournette can also be considered a flex, but White is trending in the right direction and has more upside. And Cleveland has allowed five running backs to score at least 12 PPR points in the past three games.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Takes over lead role
Rotowire
White rushed 22 times for 105 yards in Sunday's 21-16 win over the Seahawks.
White out-carried Leonard Fournette (hip), 22-14, which was skewed a bit by Fournette's exit in the fourth quarter. However, White got the first carry of the game and was almost exactly even with Fournette in opportunity through the first two quarters. White wasn't all that efficient for much of the game, though he ripped off big gains of 29 and 18 yards to top 100 rushing yards. His usage moving forward will depend on the health of Fournette, but White has clearly gained ground in the Tampa Bay backfield regardless,
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
With the potential of White taking away more work from Leonard Fournette continuing to gain momentum, White is worth using as a flex option this week against the Seahawks. Tom Spencer, who is the CBS Sports Editorial Consultant in the TV booth with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, told us on Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports HQ on Sunday that the Buccaneers coaches want to give more work to White moving forward to help Fournette. In Week 9 against the Rams, White had a season-high eight carries for 27 yards, along with three catches for 7 yards on three targets. Fournette isn't getting benched -- at least as far as we know -- but if White continues to get more high-level touches then he could be the more valuable Fantasy option. I still like Fournette as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, but White is worth using as a flex.
... See More... See Less
Buccaneers' Rachaad White: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
With the potential of White taking away more work from Leonard Fournette continuing to gain momentum, White is worth using as a flex option this week against the Seahawks. Tom Spencer, who is the CBS Sports Editorial Consultant in the TV booth with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, told us on Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports HQ on Sunday that the Buccaneers coaches want to give more work to White moving forward to help Fournette. In Week 9 against the Rams, White had a season-high eight carries for 27 yards, along with three catches for 7 yards on three targets. Fournette isn't getting benched -- at least as far as we know -- but if White continues to get more high-level touches then he could be the more valuable Fantasy option. I still like Fournette as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, but White is worth using as a flex.
