Start Bucky Irving or Braelon Allen? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 12:51 PM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 9 answer posts Tuesday.

Latest

Oct 21, 3:43 PM ET: Bucky Irving: Listed Questionable (Illness) (Sleeper injury feed)

Irving projects lower, 12.6 to 14.8, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 45 for Irving, 180 for Allen.

Start

Bucky Irving

RB · TB · vs ATL

Market projects: 12.6; recent weeks avg
ATL D vs RB: 24.6; 8th most to RBs (2026)
Upside: High; 94 of 100 at RB
Snap share: 64%; Through Week 7
Target share: 12%; Through Week 7

Sit

Braelon Allen

RB · NYJ · vs LV

Market projects: 14.8; recent weeks avg
LV D vs RB: 25.4; 5th most to RBs (2026)
Upside: High; 100 of 100 at RB
Snap share: 64%; Through Week 7
Target share: 10%; Through Week 7

Should I drop Bucky Irving for Braelon Allen?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Braelon Allen projects 123 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (13.7 a game over 9 games), Bucky Irving 111 (12.3 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Bucky Irving over Braelon Allen. So make the move after his Week 8 game.

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Bucky Irving rookie cards Braelon Allen rookie cards

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Our Week 8 call

Start Bucky Irving over Braelon Allen in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Bucky Irving at 12.6 points and Braelon Allen at 14.8, a gap of 2.3. Bucky Irving still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 45 against 180, and that outweighs a gap this size. No player market is posted for Bucky Irving this week yet, so his 12.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (11.2, 11.9 and 14.5); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Braelon Allen this week yet, so his 14.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (14.9, 13.8 and 15.7); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Braelon Allen yet. His market-based projections were 14.9, 13.8 and 15.7 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 14.8, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

No Week 8 player market is posted for Bucky Irving yet. His market-based projections were 11.2, 11.9 and 14.5 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 12.6, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Bucky Irving is 0.8 touchdowns (6 market sources).

That puts Braelon Allen 2.3 points ahead of Bucky Irving on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Braelon Allen and NYJ host LV on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

LV allowed 25.4 fantasy points a game to RBs this season over 7 games, the 5th most in the league.

Running backs ran for 125 yards and a touchdown a game against LV and caught passes for 37 more yards.

Bucky Irving and TB host ATL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

ATL allowed 24.6 fantasy points a game to RBs this season over 7 games, the 8th most in the league.

Running backs ran for 82 yards and a touchdown a game against ATL and caught passes for 39 more yards.

By points allowed to the position, Braelon Allen has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Braelon Allen is not on the injury report.

Bucky Irving is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Braelon Allen played 64 percent of NYJ snaps, took 53 percent of the carries, drew 10 percent of the targets and had 30 percent of the red zone chances.

Braelon Allen, Week 4 against CHI: 30 of 32 snaps, 14 carries for 59 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 8 yards.

Braelon Allen, Week 5 against CLE: 60 of 70 snaps, 24 carries for 116 yards, 4 targets and 1 catch for 0 yards, 1 touchdown.

Braelon Allen, Week 6 against NE: 54 of 62 snaps, 17 carries for 78 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 26 yards.

Braelon Allen, Week 7 against MIA: 46 of 59 snaps, 17 carries for 104 yards, 7 targets and 6 catches for 30 yards.

Through Week 7, Bucky Irving played 64 percent of TB snaps, took 59 percent of the carries, drew 12 percent of the targets and had 40 percent of the red zone chances.

Bucky Irving, Week 4 against GB: 37 of 64 snaps, 16 carries for 61 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Bucky Irving, Week 5 against DAL: 39 of 72 snaps, 21 carries for 165 yards, 3 targets and 2 catches for 10 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Bucky Irving, Week 6 against PIT: 63 of 74 snaps, 19 carries for 46 yards, 3 targets and 2 catches for 3 yards.

Bucky Irving, Week 7 against CAR: 37 of 63 snaps, 24 carries for 106 yards, 2 targets and 1 catch for 4 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Braelon Allen played 4 games for NYJ and scored 15.3 PPR points, 3.8 a game, finishing RB100.

He ran 18 times for 76 yards and 1 touchdown, and caught 2 of 3 targets for 17 yards.

He was on the field for 24 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Bucky Irving played 10 games for TB and scored 138.5 PPR points, 13.9 a game, finishing RB34.

He ran 173 times for 588 yards and 1 touchdown, and caught 30 of 35 targets for 277 yards.

He was on the field for 62 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 8, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Bucky Irving for Braelon Allen?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Braelon Allen projects 123 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (13.7 a game over 9 games), Bucky Irving 111 (12.3 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Bucky Irving over Braelon Allen. So make the move after his Week 8 game.
Should I drop Braelon Allen for Bucky Irving?
No. Keep Braelon Allen: he projects 123 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (13.7 a game over 9 games), Bucky Irving 111 (12.3 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Bucky Irving over Braelon Allen.