Bucky Irving vs Chris Olave

“If Bucky Irving struggles to stay healthy for the second consecutive season, Gainwell could have a career year”

“100 | (RB35) To be clear, Bucky Irving isn’t fading away despite a down season last year”

“It’s odd that so many people are forgetting just how good Irving was over a fairly large sample size of games over the second half of his rookie season. Buy the dip.”

“8 | Diff: +3 Over the last two seasons, with Bucky Irving in town, Rachaad White was a more effective per-touch player, but with Irving out of the lineup last year, he proved again that he can carry the mail (although while being horribly inefficient).”

“Bucky Irving ‘s rookie season was as impressive as they come, considering his draft capital (125th overall).”

“Bucky Irving was the only top-12 drafted RB to miss more than two games.”

“Bucky Irving finished as the RB13 his rookie year before slumping to an RB 34 playing 10 games the following season. More concerning than the games missed is his carries inside the 5-yard line in 2025: zero.”

“Bucky Irving checks all the boxes when it comes to identifying a true “buy low” player.”

“After finishing his rookie season as the RB13, averaging 14.4 PPR fantasy points per game, Bucky Irving regressed last year and struggled to stay healthy, missing seven contests. Furthermore, Irving had offseason shoulder surgery and might not be fully ready for training camp.”

“Irving finished dead last in that metric among qualifying running backs last season, which sounds damning, but he ranked sixth in the same metric in 2024. The difference is the offensive line: Tampa Bay’s line ranked second in adjusted line yards during Irving’s rookie season and collapsed to 22nd last year due to injuries.”

“Even before the injury that sidelined him, Irving averaged just 3.3 yards per carry while ranking 32nd in explosive yards, 45th in missed tackles forced per attempt and 33rd in runs for first downs at his position. With Tampa Bay deploying a full rotation of backs, it feels extremely hard to replicate.”

“You can't deny the value Bucky Irving provided us in 2024. He played all 17 games and finished as the RB13 in PPR scoring after entering the season as the RB52 in expert consensus rankings (ECR). Irving was electric, averaging 5.4 yards per carry while ranking fifth in explosive yards and fifth in missed tackles forced.”

“With McDaniel’s WR1 averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game over the last three seasons, McConkey has legitimate overall WR1 upside at his current cost.” – Ryan Linkletter ( Blitz Sports Media ) “ Ladd McConkey – Last year, we saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Chris Olave thrive under new offensive leadership in Klint Kubiak and Kellen Moore, respectively.”

“Olave just signed a massive contract extension, which one analyst points to as the exact reason to sell rather than a reason for confidence. His talent isn’t in question, but he carries an extensive concussion history and dealt with blood clots last year, both serious long-term red flags.”

“Chris Olave is the #1 option at wide receiver on a team that relies heavily on his ability to stack receptions and yards. Olave hauled in 100 receptions last season, for over 1,160 yards, and nine touchdowns. The wide receiver for the Saints looks to be in a fantastic spot to repeat the production of the previous season or possibly even improve.”

“Chris Olave ’s 2025 Reception Perception profile:”

“Shough is the unquestioned starter entering 2026, and he’s entering his second season with Chris Olave still in place and Tyson joining the offense”

“They also locked up Chris Olave with a massive contract extension”

“There are a lot of factors to consider when determining the value of a fantasy asset, and it is no different when evaluating the dynasty value of Chris Olave . We can look at the optimistic picture painted by his success with a new QB & new coach, finishing as the WR6 in the 2025 season.”

“After several concussions, most notably two in 2024, Olave returned to form. Olave played 16 games, putting up 100 receptions, 1163 yards, and nine TDs before missing Week 18 due to a blood clot.”

“That has him going ahead of players like Chris Olave , DeVonta Smith and Tetairoa McMillan — all of whom have similar WR1 upside without the same red flags.”

“Chris Olave showed immediate rapport with Tyler Shough , finishing his season on a high note. With Travis Etienne Jr. and Jordyn Tyson , the Saints’ offense should be significantly improved, which will help Olave’s efficiency.”

“Last year, it looked like he was back to form with 100 catches and 1,163 yards. Can we get another full season, Chris? Please!”

“Chris Olave's end-of-season yardage total (1163) looks fine and maybe not as impressive considering he played all 17 games, but he actually ranked #1 in the league in total air yards with 1,820, which tells us that the Saints left a ton of yards on the field as Olave's catch rate (66.2%) and catchable target rate (76.8%) was lower subpar due to poor targets or deep shots that never came to fruition.”