Start Bucky Irving or J.K. Dobbins? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 11:56 AM 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)

Start Bucky Irving over J.K. Dobbins

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

J.K. Dobbins

RB · DEN · vs KC

Market projects: 9.3; recent weeks avg
KC D vs RB: 19.5; 9th fewest to RBs (2026)
Upside: Limited; 12 of 100 at RB
Snap share: 41%; Through Week 7
Target share: 5%; Through Week 7

Should I drop J.K. Dobbins for Bucky Irving?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Bucky Irving projects 111 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.3 a game over 9 games), J.K. Dobbins 84 (9.3 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Bucky Irving over J.K. Dobbins.

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Our Week 8 call

Start Bucky Irving over J.K. Dobbins in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Bucky Irving at 12.6 points and J.K. Dobbins at 9.3, a gap of 3.3. 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 J.K. Dobbins this week yet, so his 9.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (8.7, 9.1 and 10.1); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Bucky Irving at ADP 45 and J.K. Dobbins at 90.

What the market projects

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).

No Week 8 player market is posted for J.K. Dobbins yet. His market-based projections were 8.7, 9.1 and 10.1 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 9.3, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for J.K. Dobbins is 0-1 touchdowns (7 market sources).

That puts Bucky Irving 3.3 points ahead of J.K. Dobbins on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

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.

J.K. Dobbins and DEN host KC on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

KC allowed 19.5 fantasy points a game to RBs this season over 6 games, the 9th fewest in the league.

Running backs ran for 72 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against KC and caught passes for 37 more yards.

By points allowed to the position, Bucky Irving has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Bucky Irving is not on the injury report.

J.K. Dobbins is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

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.

Through Week 7, J.K. Dobbins played 41 percent of DEN snaps, took 52 percent of the carries, drew 5 percent of the targets and had 27 percent of the red zone chances.

J.K. Dobbins, Week 4 against SF: 21 of 65 snaps, 11 carries for 40 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

J.K. Dobbins, Week 5 against LAC: 32 of 62 snaps, 18 carries for 68 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 6 yards, 1 touchdown.

J.K. Dobbins, Week 6 against SEA: 31 of 60 snaps, 17 carries for 41 yards, 3 targets and 3 catches for 5 yards, 1 touchdown.

J.K. Dobbins, Week 7 against ARI: 14 of 61 snaps, 6 carries for 23 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

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.

In 2025, J.K. Dobbins played 10 games for DEN and scored 115.9 PPR points, 11.6 a game, finishing RB43.

He ran 153 times for 772 yards and 4 touchdowns, and caught 11 of 14 targets for 37 yards.

He was on the field for 51 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 J.K. Dobbins for Bucky Irving?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Bucky Irving projects 111 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.3 a game over 9 games), J.K. Dobbins 84 (9.3 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Bucky Irving over J.K. Dobbins.
Should I drop Bucky Irving for J.K. Dobbins?
No. Keep Bucky Irving: he projects 111 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.3 a game over 9 games), J.K. Dobbins 84 (9.3 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Bucky Irving over J.K. Dobbins.

Should I drop J.K. Dobbins?