Bucs fantasy scoreboard, Week 9: Bucky Irving leads the way in a loss

The Buccaneers took the ball away five times in Chicago on Sunday and still lost 27-24. For fantasy managers, the day belonged to Bucky Irving, who ran for two touchdowns and finished with 28.5 PPR points, almost three times as many as anyone else in a Tampa Bay uniform.

Week 9 fantasy scoreboard

Week 9: Buccaneers at Chicago Bears, 24-27

Top scorers: 1. Bucky Irving (RB), 28.5 PPR. 2. Kenny Gainwell (RB), 10.6 PPR. 3. Chase McLaughlin (PK), 10.0 PPR.

Irving carries the whole board

Irving handled 20 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns, and added four catches for 28 yards on five targets. That is 24.5 points in standard scoring and 28.5 in full PPR. The workload was the story as much as the touchdowns: no other Buccaneer touched the ball more than Irving did.

Kenny Gainwell was the clear second back and the clear second scorer. He had only five carries for 16 yards, but caught all three of his targets for 60 yards, which is how he reached 10.6 PPR points (7.6 standard). It was a useful receiving-down role, not a threat to Irving's job.

A kicker in the top three

Chase McLaughlin went 3 for 3 on field goals, with a long of 35 yards, and 1 for 1 on extra points. That is 10.0 points in every format, good enough for third place on the team. A kicker finishing in the top three tells you how little the passing game produced. By the ESPN box score, Tampa Bay scored 0 points in the first quarter, 6 in the second, 7 in the third and 11 in the fourth, while Chicago opened with 14.

The defense, which we list separately from the player ranking, did its part for fantasy. With four interceptions, one fumble recovery and one sack, the Bucs D/ST scored 11.0 points even after allowing 27. Chicago's total included a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jaylon Johnson, per ESPN, a reminder of how the two Baker Mayfield interceptions hurt.

The disappointments

Mayfield threw for 243 yards on 18 of 32 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions, which works out to 5.72 points. Under our scoring, that is below what Irving earned on his two rushing touchdowns alone. A quarterback without a touchdown pass is a hard sell in any lineup.

Tez Johnson had the most efficient receiving day of the group, with two catches for 76 yards on five targets (9.6 PPR). Emeka Egbuka caught three of five targets for 38 yards and had one carry for a yard (6.9 PPR). Cade Otton was targeted eight times, a team-high, but turned them into four catches for 25 yards (6.5 PPR).

Chris Godwin Jr. finished with 4.8 PPR points on two catches for 16 yards, plus a 12-yard carry. Ted Hurst III was targeted once and did not catch it, so he scored zero. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is on the stat sheet with no fantasy-relevant production.

What it means for next week

Irving is an obvious start whenever he is healthy, and Sunday showed that the touchdowns are coming from real volume. Gainwell is a flex option in PPR leagues if his receiving role holds, but five carries is not a rushing floor to count on. Johnson is worth a look on the waiver wire in deeper leagues after a 76-yard day, though two catches is a thin base. Otton's eight targets are the number to watch for tight end streamers. Mayfield is a hold for managers with no better option, not a trusted starter, until the touchdowns return.

How we score

We use standard fantasy rules. Passing: 0.04 per yard, 4 per touchdown, minus 2 per interception. Rushing and receiving: 0.1 per yard and 6 per touchdown. Receptions are worth 1.0 in PPR, 0.5 in half-PPR and nothing in standard. A lost fumble costs 2, a return touchdown earns 6. Kickers get 3 per field goal, 1 per extra point and minus 1 per miss. D/ST scores 1 per sack, 2 per interception or fumble recovery, 6 per touchdown, plus points-allowed tiers. Two-point conversions are not counted because they are not in the box score.