Tag: rachaad white

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 7 free-agent forecast

Here are the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 7.

Each week, fantasy football managers inch closer to the playoffs as the 2022 campaign rolls into midseason form. Now, they must navigate through a bye week that will leave a lot of fantasy firepower on the bench in Week 7.

Teams on a bye in Week 7 include the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in ESPN leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter (@KevinHickey11). Your questions, comments, and roasts are always welcome!

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

WATCH: Bucs RB Rachaad White goes airborne for 1st career NFL TD

Watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Rachaad White find the end zone for the first time in his NFL career

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found the end zone for a third time against the Kansas Chiefs, this time courtesy of their rookie running back.

Rachaad White leapt over the line for his first career NFL touchdown late in the third quarter, cutting into the Chiefs’ three-score lead.

A third-round pick out of Arizona State, White has been on the field plenty Sunday night in place of veteran Leonard Fournette, as the Bucs try their best to keep both backs fresh for the long haul.

It’s a two-score lead now for Kansas City, but the Bucs are running out of time to mount a comeback.

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WATCH: Bucs RB Rachaad White’s leaping, toe-tapping, 1-handed sideline catch

Watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Rachaad White show off his impressive pass-catching skills during Wednesday’s practice

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent their third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Arizona State running back Rachaad White, they knew they were getting one of the best pass-catching backs in the country.

White showed off those skills during Wednesday’s indoor practice at One Buc Place, making leaping, one-handed catches on the sideline.

While Leonard Fournette proved last season that he can be an every-down back, White could easily take over much of the third-down role this season, keeping Fournette fresher for the early downs, and giving Tom Brady an explosive playmaker out of the backfield.

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Bucs OC Byron Leftwich praises rookies Rachaad White, Luke Goedeke

Hear from Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on two of his new rookies

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent most of their top picks in the 2022 NFL draft to help bolster their depth on offense at multiple positions, hoping to guard against some of the injuries that hindered their failed repeat run at another Lombardi Trophy last year.

In the second round, the Bucs traded up for Central Michigan offensive lineman Luke Goedeke. In the third round, they added a big-play threat out of the backfield in Arizona State running back Rachaad White.

As the Bucs head into their final preseason game, and look ahead to the regular season, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich likes what he’s seeing from both Goedeke and White:

Goedeke appears to be the front-runner to land the starting left guard job, partly due to a season-ending knee injury suffered by veteran Aaron Stinnie, while White is expected to challenge for the third-down role behind Leonard Fournette.

Both rookies are in line for potentially significant roles this season, and could have a big impact on helping the Bucs get back to the Super Bowl.

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Bucs training camp: Hear from Jamel Dean, Rachaad White and more

Hear from members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following Friday’s training camp practice

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were back on the practice field again Friday after an off day, continuing their preparations for the upcoming NFL season with more training camp action.

After practice, cornerback Jamel Dean, running back Rachaad White and others spoke with the media:

Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs

2022 Fantasy Sleepers – Running Backs

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot. No color means the pick is a reasonable value at that spot.

See also:
Sleepers and Value Picks: Quarterbacks
Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs
Sleepers and Value Picks: Wide Receivers
Sleepers and Value Picks: Tight Ends

Average Draft order – Value picks

ADP Tm Running Back
1 IND Jonathan Taylor Was No. 1 last year, has better schedule this year. Same system designed around him.
2 CAR Christian McCaffrey When he plays, he consistently a top fantasy play. When he plays, he’s a dual-threat and a monster weekly starter. When he plays… When he plays… feel lucky?
3 TEN Derrick Henry King Henry was mortal last year. After two seasons of historic usage, the foot gave out last October. He’s back and they’ll be significantly lightening his load to keep him fresh… who am I kidding? The only question on most plays is which side of the line he’ll be crashing through.
4 LAC Austin Ekeler He will miss one or two games. But he’ll always challenge for most receptions by a RB. Draft Spiller and sleep better.
5 PIT Najee Harris 381 touches as a rookie. New QB(s), same mediocre O-line and worse schedule but hey, may end up with another 381 touches.
6 MIN Dalvin Cook Great when healthy but always misses three or four games. New offense intends to throw more, run less. Still a safe pick but likely to take a small step back from previous seasons.
7 DET D’Andre Swift Productive when he isn’t missing three or four games per year. Great O-line and great schedule points at a career-high year if he stays on the field.
8 CIN Joe Mixon Blew up as the No. 4 RB last year. Dangerous passing offense means Mixon gets less focus. Rock-solid Top-10 with upside.
9 CLE Nick Chubb This  is about where he ends up every year. Top rusher but only around one   reception per game.
10 GB Aaron Jones Loss  of Davante Adams may mean Jones could top his career-high 52 catches of last   year, but GB has a terrible rushing schedule and AJ Dillon gets more involved. This is a little high, but his risk is balanced with minor upside   as a receiver.
11 NO Alvin Kamara This is a steal if his legal situation gets pushed out to 2023 and he plays all 17 games. He’s always a lock for Top-10 and offense remains the same from last   year.
12 DEN Javonte Williams No.17 as a rookie last year, gets a better QB in Russell Wilson. He’d be a   Top-10 lock if Melvin Gordon did not re-sign. One of the most talented young   backs.
13 NYG Saquon Barkley Third time a charm or that dog just won’t hunt anymore? This assumes that he’ll be back to form but miss a few games. Bad O-line a little better but schedule is even worse.
14 TB Leonard Fournette Oddity is that Fournette alternates great seasons with down years. Signed a big contract and is reliable for the Bucs, but 2021 was No. 6, 2020 was No. 34,  2019 was No. 7, 2018 was No. 38. Needs to break that trend.
15 DAL Ezekiel Elliott Down 2021 with a torn PCL but still his fifth-straight Top-10 season. Some believe   Tony Pollard is better, but not the DAL coaching staff. O-line still an advantage and this assumes he has the worst year of his career. Because of  voidable contract years, this is actually a contract season for him so plenty   to play for in 2022.
16 CHI David Montgomery Great 2020 was sandwiched by two years around No. 20. New offense hints more use of   Khalil Herbert, so Montgomery remains solid but less upside and runs behind arguably the worst O-line in the NFL.
17 ARI James Conner First year in ARI was best of his career. He was No. 5 last year, so this seems a   hard drop after scoring 18 TDs in 2021. Will get banged up for a game or two, but this is a great value pick for a guy that faced the No. 32 rushing   schedule strength and upgrades to only average.
18 BAL J.K. Dobbins Blew an ACL a year ago and missed last season. Was No. 28 as a rookie and still   plays in a committee backfield. Better schedule this year but O-line a little worse. Plus BAL told Lamar Jackson he can run wild again.
19 WAS Antonio Gibson Has never been worse than No. 14 in his two seasons and WAS has a nice upgrade in running strength of schedule. But Commanders leaning to more of a committee   this year with a healthy J.D. McKissic and short-yardage rookie Brian   Robinson. This is a safe spot. Maybe less upside now.
20 LAR Cam Akers Finished rookie season on a high note, but then tore Achilles. Somehow returned for playoffs but looked bad. More risk here than this spot should have. HC Sean   McVay even referred to Darrell Henderson as big factor in the backfield. Also drops from No. 3 down to No. 24 rushing strength of schedule.
21 SF Elijah Mitchell Everything they expected – from Trey Sermon. Mitchell was one of the best surprises of 2021. Was wildly productive with five 100-yard rushing games. Also missed six   games and suffered five injuries (shoulder, rib, finger, concussion, knee)   all in one year. Just very risky on an offense that changes the backfield   constantly. Raheem Mostert was a similar star in 2019.
22 LVR Josh Jacobs Always Top-20 and was No. 8 in 2020. But all new coaches bring in an RBBC history   and drafted Zamir White to help. Kenyan Drake returns from an ankle injury and worse yet, Raiders fall from No. 20 to No. 32 rushing schedule.
23 JAC Travis Etienne Love that upside. Etienne was lost for 2021 with a Lis Franc injury but in his own words, he picked a good year to take off. The 1.25 pick of 2021 is healthy   and wowing in camp. Dual Threat. Has about as much upside as any other RB.   Let him shine in a preseason game and this shoots much higher.
24 KC Clyde Edwards-Helaire No arguing that the Chiefs first-round pick of 2019 was a disappointment. And this rank is about where he landed as a rookie. He’s suffered ankle, hip, MCL and shoulder injuries over just two   years. But he’s slated to do more as a receiver with Tyreek Hill gone. There   is still upside here, but one more year of injury and under-performance will   be too much. Worth a shot at this spot.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP Tm Running Back
25 NE Damien Harris This seems like a steal since he scored 15 TDs last year, but OC Josh McDaniels is gone and Rhamondre Stevenson keeps getting hyped. Harris a solid pick but lacks upside.
26 GB A.J. Dillon Dillon was the No. 22 RB last year but that was filling in for Aaron Jones twice while going against the No. 2 best rushing schedule. This year it falls to No. 25. Not a bad pick, just a bit high.
27 NYJ Breece Hall Everyone loves the first RB drafted. The rookie Hall lands on one of least productive   offenses of 2021 but the NYJ schedule and O-line are much improved from last year. Prototypical workhorse back that can catch the ball.  Plenty of upside if passing game also improves.
28 PHI Miles Sanders Sanders has declined in each season and missed four games in each of the last two years. Dogged with knee, hamstring, ankle and hand injuries. Philly wants to   pass more with A.J. Brown on the team and it looks more like an RBBC involving Kenneth Gainwell as well.
29 SEA Rashaad Penny He was so great in four games at the end of 2021 – versus the worst four   defenses. Otherwise, his entire career has been the occasional rushing   attempt between injuries. Seahawks drafted Kenneth Walker as the second RB   this year, so even they don’t think Penny’s late-season burst was a new   normal.
30 CLE Kareem Hunt He gets banged up, but his moderate fantasy value skyrockets if Nick Chubb gets   hurt.
31 DAL Tony Pollard Nice spot and productive when given the chance and holds at least this much value   even with Ezekiel Elliott healthy. Expectation is that he sees more receptions since DAL receivers are banged up to start the year and Amari   Cooper is gone.
32 BUF Devin Singletary Improved all three years and turned it up nicely to finish 2021. BUF is a pass-first   offense and they added Isaiah Spiller to  their mostly committee approach, but powerful offense, good O-line and the No. 1 rushing schedule strength should see Singletary challenge for RB2   fantasy status.
33 JAC James Robinson Tore his Achilles at the end of last season but may be ready to play early in the season, if not Week 1. But scary injury to return from and Travis Etienne will drain much work. He needs to prove health in training camp or a very   risky pick.
34 MIA Chase Edmonds Okay, so he didn’t take over in Arizona and while he is listed as No. 1 in Miami, he probably won’t be more than a piece of a committee. As a late RB3 you could do worse. Marginal upside but should offer roughly this level.
35 DEN Melvin Gordon New coaches in Denver may not reprise the same committee backfield as last year. Then again, HC Nathaniel Hackett imports the GB scheme that used Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Should be a safe pick for a back that historically has always   been Top-20.
36 SEA Kenneth Walker III The second RB drafted in 2021 is a 4.38/40 speedster out of Michigan State that ran for 1,636 yards and 19 TDs last year. The only one above him on the depth chart is the always-injured Rashaad Penny. Yeah. Love this pick and willing   to wait a few weeks for big things to happen.
36 ATL Cordarrelle Patterson Patterson made the shockingly effective switch to RB last year but then sputtered by   the end of the season. He’s 31 years old and probably even less likely to handle more than 150 carries. Worth it as an RB4 to see if he starts adding   tons of catches again as he did early in 2021.
37 NE Rhamondre Stevenson Saw much more use after Week 10 last year and even logged two 100-yard rushing   efforts. Expectations are that he will see even more action and is slated to   start catching more passes. The NE backfield has long been a source of   frustration and dashed hopes, but Stevenson as an RB4 is just too good to pass   up. Just his pace last year would have been around No. 24 had he played in   all games.
38 MIN Alexander Mattison Back up for Dalvin Cook. Three years and never better than this ranking.
39 NYJ Michael Carter Jets drafted Breece Hall and now Carter is just the No. 2 for the Jets – when has   that ever paid off? Good handcuff for the Hall owner but likely not enough production to merit a fantasy start unless Hall was out.
40 BUF James Cook Bills drafted Cook as the third RB taken this year with the plan to make him into a   pass-catching back to complement Devin Singletary as the main rusher. Anyone catching passes in the Bills’ offense needs to be owned. Reasonable handcuff   for the Singletary owner but should carry stand-alone fantasy value.
41 KC Ronald Jones II The info on Jones is conflicting. He’s said to be challenging Clyde   Edwards-Helaire to be a starter, and also speculated to not make the 53-man cut. Doesn’t help that KC has given first-team reps to undrafted Isaiah Pacheco who will also play special teams unlike Jones. As an RB4, he carries   some upside and if he flops, it won’t kill you.
42 LAR Darrell Henderson HC Sean McVay referred to his backfield as being both Cam Akers and Darrell   Henderson. Not Akers and his backup. The Rams like to pass anyway and Henderson has been around the No. 30 back for the last two years. No game   changer, but worth owning.
43 IND Nyheim Hines Was deemphasized last year but ranked No. 17 in 2020 when he caught 63 passes and   scored seven TDs. HC Frank Reich said he wants the 2020 version of Hines back   this year and that makes this a steal.
44 WAS J.D. McKissic Like Nyheim Hines, McKissic is not going to save your fantasy team but should see a return to an every-week value play in PPR leagues. He caught 80 passes in   2020 but missed six games last year. Nice value.
45 MIA Raheem Mostert In a best-ball league as a final pick maybe. But chances that Mostert is going to offer reliable fantasy points is too hard to buy into.
46 HOU Dameon Pierce Fourth-round pick could challenge Marlon Mack as the top back but a committee is expected, the rushing schedule is No. 30 and the O-line remains one of the worst. Upside here around the start of RB5, but not a lot.
47 HOU Marlon Mack Starting RB in Houston but virtually no upside and more likely to fall from this level.
48 SEA Chris Carson Retired. Will wash out of ADP.
49 NO Mark Ingram No. 2 in NO should be gold if Alvin Kamara is suspended, but that is no longer a  lock (at least for this year) and Ingram is 32 years old and a nonfactor since 2019.
50 LAC Isaiah Spiller Great handcuff for the Austin Ekeler owner but hard to reach since he tends to be   taken before the Ekeler owner can get there. Solid RB5 that could be huge if Ekeler missed much time.
51 CAR Chuba Hubbard Even with Christian McCaffrey flaming out last year, Hubbard only No. 36. Just a handcuff with marginal value even if McCaffrey misses time.
52 ATL Tyler Allgeier Good-sized back (5-11, 220) could beat Damien Williams out to be the No. 2 in Atlanta, and Cordarrelle Patterson faded last year. Bad schedule and bad O-line is a major challenge, but Allgeier could end up as the No. 1 RB in Atlanta this year.
53 DET Jamaal Williams D’Andre Swift tends to miss several games per year and Williams ranked No. 43 last season. DET has a great O-line and schedule, so Williams has minor value   regardless and becomes a starting consideration when Swift gets hurt.
54 PHI Kenneth Gainwell Ended as the No. 40 RB as a rookie last year and led the Eagles backfield since Miles Sanders was injured. Has minor stand-alone value and upside in this improving offense.
55 TB Rachaad White A popular sleeper-type this summer, White takes over for Ronald Jones as the   No. 2 back in TB. Worth owning in that productive offense but likely needs Leonard Fournette to be injured to offer any reliable fantasy starts.
56 ARI Darrel Williams Comes over from the Chiefs where he was the No. 21 back last year. Replaces Chase Edmonds as the No. 2 back in Arizona who was No. 33 in 2021. Should offer much more value than this spot and Conner usually misses a couple of games.
57 MIA Sony Michel Certainly Michel has value after a surprising year with the Rams, but the Miami backfield is a mess that’s hard to buy into.
58 BAL Gus Edwards Torn ACL last September and Ravens O-line not as good. Staying away from players returning from blown knees and playing in a committee backfield.
59 SF Tyrion Davis-Price Why not? SF has a tendency to make stars out of surprising players. Elijah Mitchell was the newest star last year, before that, Jeff Wilson, before   that, Raheem Mostert, before that, Matt Breida… Davis-Price was the  fifth RB drafted this year, so he’s not just a bottom of the roster filler.
60 NYG Matt Breida Handcuff for Saquon Barkley. No real value to anyone else and even if Barkley crashes yet again, Giants have a bad schedule, bad O-line and are installing a new offense.

 Best of the rest

Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS) – Firmly No. 3 behind Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, the ex-Alabama bruiser could see short-yardage work and steps in if either starter is injured.

Hassan Haskins (TEN) – The Titans offense is meant to run and Derrick Henry proved he was not immortal last year with the foot injury. Haskins already impressed in camp and will be a hot commodity if Henry misses any time.

Khalil Herbert (CHI) – New offense in Chicago changes backfield roles and Herbert looks likely to receive more work. A needed handcuff for the David Montgomery owner, but may have stand-alone fantasy value anyway. 

Bucs rookie RB Rachaad White throws out 1st pitch at Rays game

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Rachaad White took the mound Friday night for the Tampa Bay Rays

It’s all about “Team Tampa Bay” for the sports franchises in the Tampa area, as the Buccaneers, Lightning and Rays are always finding ways to crossover into each other’s territory and root one another on to victory.

The latest example of this came Friday night, when Bucs rookie running back Rachaad White was given the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the Rays game.

White, a third-round pick out of Arizona State, is expected to compete for the third-down role behind Leonard Fournette this season for the Bucs. He won’t need to do any throwing for that, unless Tampa Bay installs a halfback pass.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs: What to expect in fantasy football

Here’s how the Tampa backfield should shake out in 2022.

The running back room for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a different look this season after the team allowed Ronald Jones to leave via free agency.

While the exodus of Jones wasn’t unexpected, it does create a void, since he had been the team’s leading rusher in 2019 and 2020 and was No. 2 to Leonard Fournette last season.

New Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles inherits a veteran, playoff-tested team that won’t have a lot of positional uncertainty. However, the running back battle behind Fournette will have to clear itself out during training camp and the preseason.

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Meet Rachaad White, the Bucs’ 3rd-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft

Get to know Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Rachaad White

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went into the 2022 NFL draft looking for a pass-catching specialist at running back, and they found just that in the third round with Arizona State’s Rachaad White.

An explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands, White was a big-play machine for the Sun Devils, making highlights on the ground and through the air. He joins a Tampa Bay backfield still headlined by Leonard Fournette, but one that gives White a chance to earn a significant role as a rookie in passing situations.

Get to know the promising rookie running back with this great video from the Bucs:

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Bucs 3rd-round pick Rachaad White: ‘I want to be the starting RB’

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Rachaad White is aiming high on the depth chart

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went into the 2022 NFL draft with a desperate need for a pass-catching specialist at running back, and they found just that with third-round pick Rachaad White out of Arizona State.

But while White is expected to carve out a fairly significant role in the passing game as a rookie, the former Sun Devil has his sights set higher.

Appearing this week on the Jim Rome Show, White made it clear that while he’s coming to Tampa to learn from veterans like Leonard Fournette and Giovani Bernard, he also wants to challenge them for the starting job.

“My expectation, my goal is I’m going in there competing,” White said. “I want to be the starting running back. That’s how it go. I know I got Lenny in front of me. And you know I’m going to soak up a lot of knowledge from Lenny in that running backs room. and Giovani Bernard. That’s just the type of guy I am. You know, I’m always a competitor first.”

White certainly has the skill set to become a full-time, featured back in the NFL, though Fournette certainly has a firm hold on that job in Tampa Bay, having just signed a new three-year contract extension earlier in the offeseason.

Still, it’s always good to see a rookie with White’s level of competitiveness and confidence.

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