Bucky Irving vs Devin Neal: Who Should You Start?
Bucky Irving and Devin Neal are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back averaged 12.3 PPG in 2025, a full 7.1 points per game ahead of Devin Neal's 5.2 with the New Orleans Saints. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
That 7.1-point weekly advantage for Bucky Irving is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
Both profile as early-down workhorses. Bucky Irving ran for 588 yards and 1 touchdowns; Devin Neal posted 206 and 2. Goal-line share, red zone touches, and which team is favored are usually the tiebreaker when neither back offers passing-game volume.
Bucky Irving has his bye in Week 11, and Devin Neal rests in Week 12. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at running back for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
