Week 9 fantasy running back rankings: Top RB streamers, starts
Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving had a standout performance in Week 8
RB · TB · 24 yrs · exp 2 · Oregon
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Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving had a standout performance in Week 8
Kenny Gainwell's recent rushing surge makes him a worthwhile Week 9 add, particularly in leagues with 10 or more teams
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) pulled off a 16-0, rain-soaked home victory against the Atlanta Falcons (3-5) on Sunday with a method not seen since 1945. With quarterback Baker Mayfield not completing any of his three passes, the Buccaneers are now the first team with no completions in a game since the 1974 Buffalo Bills , who won their completion-less game 16-12 against the New York Jets . Tampa Bay is also the first team since the 1945 Pittsburgh Steelers to win a game by double digits without having a completion. Those Steelers beat the Cardinals 23-0 in that game. Finally, the Buccaneers became the first team to produce no completions and over 300 yards rushing (324) in a game since the Boston Braves, now the Washington Commanders , in 1933. Mayfield returned from a three-game absence because of a right thumb dislocation in Tampa Bay's 43-13 road win at the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, and with the heavy rain in Tampa on Sunday, the Buccaneers chose to lean exclusively on their ground game. They racked up 324 yards rushing, with running back Bucky Irving leading the way with 170 yards rushing and a touchdown on 27 carries. He also averaged 6.3 yards per carry. No. 2 running back Kenneth Gainwell also chipped in another 140 yards rushing on 25 carries for a 5.6 yards-per-carry average. Mayfield added 14 yards on the ground on four carries. Irving and Gainwell are now the first teammate duo in NFL history to each have 25-plus carries and 125-plus rushing yards in the same game. Incredibly, the Buccaneers have now won consecutive games against their NFC South division rivals, with Mayfield completing seven of his 14 throws for 64 yards and a touchdown in the last two weeks. They have survived a malfunctioning passing game because of their run game and smothering defense. In Week 7, they forced four Panthers turnovers, including a 32-yard fumble return touchdown. On Sunday against the Falcons, they forced Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr . into a career-high four interceptions, and he completed just eight of his 24 throws for 125 yards. This is the first time a Falcons quarterback has thrown four interceptions in a game since Penix Jr.'s predecessor, Kirk Cousins , in a 17-13 Week 13 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 season. The Panthers stayed in first place in the NFC South with a 3-4 record entering Week 9, with the Buccaneers (3-5) and the Falcons (3-5) right behind them. The New Orleans Saints sit in last place at 2-5 and are on a bye in Week 8. Through the first half of the season, the NFC South remains the most wide-open, wacky division in the NFL
Buccaneers don't complete a pass in a 16-0 win over the Falcons, but running backs Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell shine
Predictions for the Falcons-Buccaneers matchup highlight key players such as Michael Penix Jr., Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Baker Mayfield, and Bucky Irving
Kenny Gainwell officially active for Week 8 matchup against Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell (hip) is "good to go" for Sunday's Week 8 contest against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Gainwell will suit up for this week's divisional battle despite being listed as questionable. The 27-year-old salvaged his fantasy performance last week with some garbage-time touches, but we don't expect that pattern to continue this week. A projected spread of TB -2.5 indicates that we're in for a close game, which will result in more competitive touches for Bucky Irving and fewer garbage-time opportunities for Gainwell and Sean Tucker. Nevertheless, it's still good news that he'll be active, as he provides additional insurance in a deep backfield behind Irving. He should continue to be stashed as a solid handcuff option in a rushing attack that appears to be trending up
Sports fans looking to make predictions on Thursday Night Football can take advantage of the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 , which gives new users a $55 bonus when they trade $25+. The Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers are both looking to bounce back from losses when they meet on Thursday Night Football at Lambeau Field in NFL Week 8. Get started at Kalshi with the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55: Visit the Kalshi promo code review page for information, including terms and conditions of the Kalshi promo offer, and you can also learn how prediction markets work if you are new to the game. Before you make any trades, be sure that prediction markets are legal in your state. The Panthers had been looking like the best team in the NFC South, but then they went into Tampa to face the rival Buccaneers , and it didn't go well. The Bucs piled up 258 rushing yards, including 106 and two TDs from Bucky Irving , and the defense had four takeaways and five sacks in a 34-13 victory. The Packers also had gotten on a bit of a roll, beating the Bucs, Bears and Cowboys before a 20-17 road loss to the Lions in Week. Green Bay was done in by untimely (and at times controversial) penalties. The return of running back Josh Jacobs provided a boost, as he totaled 91 yards and a touchdown. Now he faces a Carolina run defense that allows an NFL-high 153.2 rushing yards. That unit is sixth against the pass, but Jordan Love threw for 274 yards last week to give him 1,958 for the season, with 13 TD passes and five interceptions. Christian Watson and Matthew Golden both make big plays, and they have a combined 1,107 receiving yards and nine TDs. At Kalshi, you can trade on the Packers to beat the Panthers for $0.65 per share, while shares on a Carolina victory are trading for $0.36. The Panthers' offense also had been humming, with quarterback Bryce Young throwing for at least 280 yards in each of the first five games. Tampa Bay held him to 163, and he threw two interceptions. Running back Chuba Hubbard was held to 33 yards after rushing for 326 over the previous three games. The teams combine to allow just under 48 points per game, while the offenses average just over 47 between them. The Packers are 17th against the run, so Hubbard will see a lot of work, and Jacobs will look to build on his season debut and exploit the league's worst run defense. That dedication to the running game has the SportsLine Projection Model expecting the teams to score fewer than 48 combined points, which they do in 56% of its simulations. It has Green Bay winning on its home turf at a 72% rate. The teams to combine for fewer than 48.5 points is trading at $0.53 per share at Kalshi, while the teams to top 49 is trading at $0.48. Use the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 to get a $55 bonus when you trade $25+: It's a top priority for Kalshi to keep its users safe. Kalshi offers various risk management tools for traders that can be used at any time, including trading breaks, voluntary opt-out, and a personalized funding limit. Prediction Markets are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) - an independent agency of the U.S. federal government. Event contracts trading involves a risk of substantial loss and is not suitable for all investors. Participation in prediction markets is subject to applicable eligibility requirements. Participation may be restricted or prohibited in certain jurisdictions and participants are responsible for ensuring their participation complies with applicable laws and regulations in their jurisdiction
We're in the midst of spooky season, and the NFL has never been shy about giving fans a jump scare. Every week, there are results that we didn't see coming around the corner, and they essentially jump out in front of us like a villain in a horror movie. I mean, who had J.J. McCarthy essentially coming back from the dead like a zombie, reviving his career with New York and rolling into Houston to upset the Texans ? Oh yeah. We did. The McCarthy-led Giants pulling off the upset was our best call in last week's column, but not our only victory. We also pinpointed the 49ers as a favorite on upset alert, and they ended up falling to the Falcons . There was more trick than treat, as our three other predictions didn't come to fruition, but we'll take what we can get. Now, it's time to look forward to Week 8 and identify a handful of favorites who are officially on upset alert. All lines via DraftKings ; All times ET Baker Mayfield made his return in Week 7, but he didn't have to do much to ensure the win for Tampa Bay. He threw just 11 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown during a 43-13 win over the Panthers . Carolina largely tripped over itself in the losing effort, and self-inflicted mistakes helped create a 33-6 hole at halftime. I'm not sure Atlanta will give the Bucs that type of gift for the second week in a row, and it could force Mayfield to prove he's healthy in this NFC South matchup. The Falcons are allowing the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game (88.9) in the NFL this season, so Bucky Irving may not have the same level of success he's had on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards in two of Tampa's previous three games. That puts even more emphasis on Mayfield dropping back to pass. When he does, he'll face an Atlanta pass rush that ranks fourth in pressure rate (41.4) coming into Week 8. EPA per dropback -0.21 Worst (among 33 QBs) Yards per attempt 6.3 24th Passer rating 83.0 24th There's a recipe here for Mayfield to struggle through the air as he works his way back from that right thumb injury and the Falcons feast. Raymond James Stadium also hasn't been the strongest home-field advantage for the Bucs either, as they've struggled to secure a win at home this season (0-4). The Raiders are reeling right now. They've lost four straight, and their defense has completely cratered over that stretch, allowing 35.8 points per game and 11 passing touchdowns. It's a pretty jarring contrast when you look at the defensive production from Week 1-3 and Week 4-7 side by side and see just how far they've fallen. PPG 18.0 35.8 YPG 316.7 416.5 Pass TD 5 11 Takeaways 9 3 Looks bad, right? But let's peel things back a bit more and see who've they've faced over this losing skid, specifically at quarterback. During this losing streak, the Raiders have faced Patrick Mahomes , Drake Maye , Josh Allen , and Matthew Stafford . When you see the elite quarterbacks they've faced, it's no wonder they've been sliced up. Let me ask you this: Does Geno Smith fit in that tier of quarterbacks? Of course not. While Smith has been serviceable for New York, he doesn't instill the same fear as the other quarterbacks Las Vegas has faced, so I think the defense will have a chance to rebound a bit. That's especially true given the Jets have the second-worst red-zone touchdown percentage in the NFL. With a better effort from the defense, the Raiders offense has the pieces in place to put up points and roll into MetLife Stadium and pull off the upset. It's the unstoppable force ( Lions offense) against the immovable object (Vikings defense) that is set to square off on Sunday at Ford Field. Minnesota is 6-0 to begin the season, but most folks (including the oddsmakers) believe this will be the spot on the schedule where they suffer their first loss. The Lions offense has scored the second-most points per game (30.7) and totaled the second-most yards per game (397.3) in the NFL this season. They're also tied for the second-fewes [... truncated ...]
The Carolina Panthers possess the NFL's worst run defense, allowing 153.2 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry. Their struggles were highlighted in a recent loss to the Buccaneers, where opposing running backs Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker had significant success. Linebacker Bobby Okereke acknowledged the need to address these defensive weaknesses, especially with teams likely to exploit them based on game film. Despite their defensive issues, the Panthers currently lead their division at 3-3
Baker Mayfield’s win over the Panthers shows the Buccaneers’ potential, with key RBs contributing heavily
Buccaneers defeat Panthers 43-13 in a dominating performance, with several players contributing to the win
Baker Mayfield is back, and apparently, so are the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay crushed the Panthers in the first half, forcing three turnovers and scoring in every phase. The Bucs lead 33-6 at halftime. Mayfield didn’t do much, but he didn’t need to with the Panthers self-destructing. Bryce Young lost a fumble on a strip-sack by Al-Quadin Muhammad that Calijah Kancey returned 32 yards for a touchdown; Panthers wide receiver David Moore muffed a punt that Ko Kieft recovered for the Bucs at the Carolina 18, and Chase McLaughlin kicked a 22-yard field goal after Tampa Bay stalled at the Carolina 4; and Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum intercepted Young just before the half, with his 18-yard return setting up Tampa Bay at the Carolina 32. Tez Johnson scored on an 18-yard reception from Mayfield with four seconds left in the first half. It was Mayfield’s 200th career touchdown throw. Even when things went right for Young and Carolina, they went so wrong. The Panthers scored their only points on a 50-yard reception by tight end Darren Waller, but Ryan Fitzgerald’s PAT attempt was blocked by Tykee Smith. McCollum returned it for a defensive 2-point conversion. It is the first defensive 2-point conversion in the NFL this season after teams combined for two all of last season. The Bucs have 196 yards, and Mayfield is only 5-of-9 for 49 yards and a touchdown. Bucky Irving has 18 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers have 114 yards, with Young 7-of-11 for 95 yards with a touchdown and an interception
The Buccaneers have Baker Mayfield back, and they have a 7-0 lead over the Panthers after the first drive. Tampa Bay took the opening kickoff and went 70 yards in 14 plays. Bucky Irving walked into the end zone for a 4-yard score with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter. Mayfield is 2-for-4 for 23 yards in his return from a broken right thumb, which kept him out three games. Tez Johnson had a 19-yard reception. Irving has 10 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown
Bucs practice updates: Irving, Egbuka, and several others return or miss practice amid injuries and protocol concerns
Baker Mayfield appears to be on track to make his return to the Buccaneers lineup in Week 7 and it looks like running back Bucky Irving is moving in the same direction
Baker Mayfield returns to practice as a full participant after missing three games due to a dislocated right thumb
The best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 gives new users a $55 bonus after $25 worth of trades. It's the best Kalshi promo code because your trading bonus is a guaranteed amount, not variable like other offers. The NFL Week 6 Sunday schedule continues with Cowboys vs. Packers on Sunday Night Football. Cowboys cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is active after sitting out last week. Claim the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55, trade $25, and receive a $55 bonus here : For the full terms and conditions, as well as instructions on how to claim the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 , read our Kalshi promo code review. You can also learn how to trade prediction markets and check the status of prediction markets legal states . The Green Bay Packers will try to maintain momentum and take advantage of the Dallas Cowboys' struggles when the teams meet on Sunday Night Football. The Dallas defense remains one of the league's worst despite offseason efforts to improve it. Dallas just gave up 245 rushing yards, including 165 to Bucky Irving, as Tampa Bay got its first victory of the season, winning 24-16 in Dallas last week. The run game hasn't been Green Bay's strength, but the Packers come in off a 31-7 rout of NFC North rival Chicago in Week 5. The Packers are 3-2, while the Cowboys are 2-3. The SportsLine model sees the Packers rolling at Lambeau Field, as Green Bay covers the spread 60% of the time and wins outright at a 61% rate. Claim the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55, trade $25, and receive a $55 bonus here : It's a top priority for Kalshi to look out for its users. Kalshi equips every trader with accessible risk management tools that can be enabled at any given time, including risk management actions like trading break, voluntary opt-out, and a personalized funding cap. Prediction Markets are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) - an independent agency of the U.S. federal government. Event contracts trading involves a risk of substantial loss and is not suitable for all investors. Participation in prediction markets is subject to applicable eligibility requirements. Participation may be restricted or prohibited in certain jurisdictions and participants are responsible for ensuring their participation complies with applicable laws and regulations in their jurisdiction
The Bucs lead the Steelers 13-3 at halftime, with the Steelers struggling to gain momentum
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