Start Bucky Irving or Tyjae Spears? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Bucky Irving over Tyjae Spears in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Bucky Irving at 11.4 points and Tyjae Spears at 4.9, a gap of 6.6.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 11.5 fantasy points for Bucky Irving, with 100 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market has Bucky Irving at 51.5 rushing yards, 12.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 34% chance to score a touchdown (13, 15, 16 and 17 market sources).

Player markets imply 4.9 fantasy points for Tyjae Spears, with 100 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market has Tyjae Spears at 14.5 rushing yards, 9.5 receiving yards and 1.5 receptions, with a 14% chance to score a touchdown (8, 8, 7 and 11 market sources).

That puts Bucky Irving 6.6 points ahead of Tyjae Spears on the market projections.

Injury status

Bucky Irving is not on the injury report.

Tyjae Spears is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Bucky Irving played 62 percent of TB snaps, took 58 percent of the carries, drew 12 percent of the targets and had 29 percent of the red zone chances.

Bucky Irving, Week 1 against CIN: 35 of 57 snaps, 8 carries for 45 yards, 7 targets and 7 catches for 48 yards, 1 touchdown.

Bucky Irving, Week 2 against CLE: 51 of 65 snaps, 17 carries for 89 yards, 4 targets and 4 catches for 1 yards.

Bucky Irving, Week 3 against MIN: 36 of 69 snaps, 15 carries for 46 yards, 4 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

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

Through Week 4, Tyjae Spears played 42 percent of TEN snaps, took 17 percent of the carries, drew 6 percent of the targets and had 5 percent of the red zone chances.

Tyjae Spears, Week 1 against NYJ: 25 of 50 snaps, 3 carries for 12 yards, 4 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

Tyjae Spears, Week 2 against PHI: 19 of 53 snaps, 7 carries for 41 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 29 yards.

Tyjae Spears, Week 3 against NYG: 28 of 60 snaps, 3 carries for 5 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Tyjae Spears, Week 4 against BAL: 23 of 64 snaps, 2 carries for 7 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for -1 yards.

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, Tyjae Spears played 13 games for TEN and scored 111.7 PPR points, 8.6 a game, finishing RB44.

He ran 72 times for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns, and caught 45 of 50 targets for 264 yards.

He was on the field for 46 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Bhayshul Tuten over Bucky Irving.
• Start Bucky Irving over Blake Corum.
• Start Braelon Allen over Bucky Irving.
• Start Bhayshul Tuten over Tyjae Spears.
• Start Blake Corum over Tyjae Spears.
• Start Brian Robinson over Tyjae Spears.