Barber figures to face stiff competition from 2018 second-round pick Ronald Jones II, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Barber was the Bucs' top backfield option by the end of last season, arguably by default. He was undeniably serviceable -- albeit unspectacular -- over his five games as the lead back, compiling 335 yards at a solid clip of 4.3 yards per carry. Big plays, one of the primary assets that Jones brings to the table, were almost completely absent from Barber's repertoire, as he logged just one run of 20 or more yards all season. In contrast, Jones posted at least one run of 40-plus yards in 12 of 40…read more

Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said Tuesday that Barber is the team's starting running back at the moment, ESPN.com's Jenna Laine reports.

Analysis: Barber breathed some life into a pathetic Tampa Bay running game when he closed out the season with five straight performances featuring at least 12 carries, 51 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per carry. It was enough to leave him as the team leader in rushing yards at 423, even though Doug Martin (now a Raider) had 30 more carries. With Charles Sims still unsigned, the Bucs' backfield consists of Barber, Jacquizz Rodgers and Dalton Crossan. Barber is the clear favorite for early down work among…read more

Barber, an exclusive rights free agent, agreed to a one-year, $630,000 contract with the Buccaneers, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis: The deal is merely a formality, as Barber won't have a shot to sign elsewhere until 2019, when he'll be a restricted free agent. He currently sits atop the depth chart at running back, but it won't come as any surprise if the Bucs land an upgrade in free agency or the draft. Doug Martin was released in February, while Charles Sims is set to become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. Barber impressively closed out last season with five straight weeks recording at least 51 rushing yards and 3.9…read more

Barber is one of the Buccaneers' top internal options to replace Doug Martin, who was released Tuesday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: The 23-year-old Barber is technically an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, but it's fully expected he'll be retained in 2018. Barber established career bests across the stat sheet in his second season and already displaced Martin as the top backfield option for the final five games. Despite poor blocking in front on him, Barber often proved adept at finding space while Martin failed to do so, demonstrating the power and efficiency befitting of a lead back by averaging between 4.1 and…read more

Barber rushed 17 times for 71 yards and a touchdown while also securing two of four targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 31-24 win over the Saints. He also fumbled once but recovered.

Analysis: As expected, Barber was the clear-cut lead back once again for the season finale, as Doug Martin logged just three rushes. The second-year back eclipsed 4.0 yards per carry for the fourth time in the last five contests, and his first-quarter rushing touchdown was his first since Week 12. The Auburn product demonstrated that he was aptly capable of handling lead-back duties over the final five games of the season, and as an exclusive-rights free agent heading into 2018, he's likely to enter OTAs…read more

Barber rushed 13 times for 51 yards and brought in both of his targets for four yards in Sunday's 22-19 loss to the Panthers.

Analysis: Barber once again helmed the Buccaneers backfield, despite the fact that Doug Martin was back in uniform after being made a healthy scratch Week 15. The second-year running back ran with his trademark decisiveness, but Tampa was in catch-up mode in the second half, capping his opportunities overall. Given the disparity of performance between Barber and Martin, the former appears headed for another starting assignment in the regular-season finale versus the Saints next Sunday.

Barber rushed 13 times for 53 yards and caught all three of his targets for 15 yards, but he also lost a fumble in Monday night's 24-21 defeat against the Falcons.

Analysis: Barber was handed the start in the wake of Doug Martin being deactivated, but considering he entered Monday following 40 touches the prior two weeks, his significant workload wasn't anything new. Although his 4.1 yards per carry gave him a third straight game with at least that many on average, his second-quarter fumble hurt his performance. Given his recent production, however, Barber should remain in the mix even if Martin returns for Week 16's trip to Carolina.

Starting Monday

Barber will start Monday's game versus the Falcons, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis: Earlier Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN relayed Barber would take the place of Doug Martin as the primary running back for the Buccaneers. In a turn of events, though, Martin won't take the field at all Monday due to a violation of team rules. Over the past two games, Barber has tallied 35 carries for 160 yards and five catches for 46 yards, so he's a good bet to produce against an Atlanta defense that has given up 134.2 yards from scrimmage to game to running backs this season. Behind Barber,…read more

The Buccaneers are expected to have Barber in the starting lineup Monday against the Falcons, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Getting the nod Week 13 when Doug Martin sat out due to a concussion, Barber reeled off 102 yards on 23 carries and also tacked on four receptions on as many targets for 41 yards. With Martin back in the lineup last weekend versus the Lions, Barber outgained Martin, 63 to 50, in yards from scrimmage, which may have been precipitated by Martin's second-quarter fumble. On this occasion, expect Barber to handle most of the running back reps, but Martin likely will pick up a handful of touches.

Exact Week 15 role unclear

The Buccaneers do not plan on naming a clear-cut starter between Barber and Doug Martin for Monday night's game against the Falcons, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis: Barber was impressive for a second consecutive game in Week 14 against the Lions, taking the reins of the Buccaneers' backfield in the second half and finishing with 58 yards on 12 carries. That tally came on the heels of a career-best 23-carry, 102-yard effort in Week 13, a contest in which Barber served as the clear-cut lead back when Martin was out with a concussion. With Tampa playing out the string at 4-9, head coach Dirk Koetter appears perfectly willing to ride whomever has the hot hand…read more

Barber rushed 12 times for 58 yards and brought in his only target for five yards in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Lions.

Analysis: Although he officially began the game as Doug Martin's backup, Barber ended up outpacing the latter in rushing touches and was much more successful in finding running room. The second-year back has consistently been able to garner positive gains in the rush game in contrast to Martin, who despite scoring a touchdown averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per rush for the fourth time in the last five games Sunday and lost a fumble. Given Barber's continued success and the Buccaneers' spiraling season, it…read more

Barber is expected to settle back into a reserve role Sunday against the Lions with Doug Martin in line to start the contest, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: While Martin was in the concussion protocol and ultimately held out of the Buccaneers' Week 13 loss to the Packers, Barber took over lead-back duties and delivered an excellent outing, amassing 102 yards on the ground and snagging four passes for 41 yards. That performance shouldn't result in him falling out of head coach Dirk Koetter's game plan entirely in Week 14, though Barber's path to touches is certainly less clear with Martin back in the fold. If Martin, who has been under four yards…read more

Barber rushed 23 times for 102 yards and brought in all four of his targets for 41 yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Packers.

Analysis: Announced as the lead back shortly before kickoff, Barber made the most of Doug Martin's absence with a concussion. The second-year back posted the first 100-yard rushing effort of his career and also led the Bucs in receptions and receiving yards. Barber's performance validated head coach Dirk Koetter's decision, and he looked considerably more adept than Martin has at finding running lanes to hit. Given his performance Sunday, it's fair to at least contemplate a much more equal division of…read more

Garners starting nod Sunday

The Buccaneers are planning to start Barber at running back Sunday against the Packers, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Analysis: It's expected that head coach Dirk Koetter will sprinkle fellow running backs Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims liberally into the game plan while normal lead back Doug Martin (concussion) is sidelined, but Barber looks like the leading candidate to pace the group in touches. Though he only gained seven yards on five carries in last week's loss to the Falcons, he punched in two of his totes for touchdowns, impressing the Bucs' brass with his power between the tackles. His upside is fairly…read more

With Doug Martin (concussion) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Packers, Barber could step into a more sizable role, FloridaFootballInsiders.com reports.

Analysis: Though Barber secured his first two touchdowns of the season in the Week 12 loss to the Falcons, he managed a meager seven yards on five carries, a level of efficiency that wouldn't seem to merit a longer look. Barber's season-long mark of 2.9 yards per carry isn't much more impressive, but his youth -- he's 23 years old -- may work in his favor, as he would seemingly have more untapped upside for the 4-7 Buccaneers to try and mine than the 27-year-old Jacquizz Rodgers. Charles Sims will be…read more

Barber rushed five times for seven yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Falcons.

Analysis: The reserve running back made the most of his limited opportunities, cashing in with a pair of short touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters. Barber saw extra snaps in the red zone with Doug Martin (concussion) exiting the game in the first half, and he could be in line for an expanded workload again in Week 13 versus the Packers if Martin is unable to recover in time for the contest.

Barber secured both of his targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 30-20 win over the Dolphins.

Analysis: Barber logged only three snaps on offense but made the most of them, logging a pair of catches for the second time in the last three contests. The second-year Auburn product saw a season-high 11 carries in Week 9 against the Saints, but given that he's notched just a pair of totes in the subsequent two games, it appears his role in the ground game is nowhere near reliable at the moment. As a result, Barber's fantasy value is currently non-existent.

Barber lost two yards on two rushes in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Jets.

Analysis: One week after leading the Buccaneers' backfield in rushes with 11, Barber saw only seven snaps, while Doug Martin (36 snaps) and Charles Sims (22 snaps) handled the majority of the work. To an extent, head coach Dirk Koetter appears to be open to tweaking the makeup of the rushing attack in an attempt to jump-start a largely moribund offense, but he still understandably seems to have a distinct preference for Doug Martin as his lead back in non-blowout scenarios. Barber's role thus remains…read more

Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter suggested that Barber, who logged a season-high 11 carries for 34 yards in Sunday's 30-10 loss to the Saints, could see an expanded role Week 10 against the Jets, Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com reports. "Yeah, we are going to consider everything,'" Koetter said Monday, when asked if Barber was in store for an increased workload. "Peyton did do a good job of breaking tackles and running after first contact [on Sunday]."

Analysis: Starting running back Doug Martin had an impressive showing in his season debut Week 5 against the Patriots (13 carries, 74 yards and a touchdown), but he's struggled mightily ever since, averaging just 3.0 yards per tote in 60 carries the past four contests. Koetter limited Martin to just 18 snaps in Week 9 with the back gaining just seven yards on eight handoffs, affording Barber a longer look. While his efficiency wasn't outstanding, Barber still bested Martin's production while playing…read more