Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that the healthy starters will play on Friday, including starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield stated that he isn't expecting to play too much, so it's important to play well when they're out there. With the Buccaneers hosting the Miami Dolphins this Friday in their final preseason tune-up, Mayfield and company will get a handful of game snaps and then make way for other players further down the depth chart. Notably, Mayfield did not suit up for the Bucs' second preseason matchup against the Jaguars. The team looks to keep its starting quarterback healthy after posting a 28-touchdown season in 2023 while adding over 4,000 passing yards. Mayfield still has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, so all is well in Tampa for this passing game. At worst, Mayfield is a streaming quarterback option in fantasy, but he could be a low-end fantasy starter in a pinch if the matchup is right.

Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Sean Clifford was outplayed by third-stringer Michael Pratt during Sunday's preseason game. Clifford finished 6/10 for 43 yards and an interception. Pratt fared slightly better going 10/16 for 52 yards. The Packers could not get anything going on offense without their starters. The offense did not score and the team scored two points as a whole. The quarterbacks combined for a yards-per-completion average of 3.7. Clifford was the Packers' backup quarterback in 2023. He recorded one completion for 37 yards in two games played. The Packers drafted Pratt in the seventh-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Both players had solid performances during the first week of the preseason. As such, it remains to be seen who will ultimately win the backup job.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cody Thompson was able to make the most of his chances during Saturday's preseason matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 28-year-old hauled in five receptions for a team-high 66 yards and one touchdown in the loss. His score was on a six-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Trask in the first half. It was a quality outing from Thompson who looked like the best receiving option on the field during Saturday's game. He'll need to keep this going during the final preseason game as Thompson is battling for a spot on the 53-man roster. Another strong game like this could secure Thompson a backup wideout spot to begin the season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving made some noise during the team's preseason opener last week. Sadly, Irving wasn't able to have the same level of success during Saturday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The fourth-round pick rushed six times for 26 yards in the loss. The yardage is about the same, but last time around Irving was able to find the end zone. He'll continue to compete with Sean Tucker for the primary backup role behind Rachaad White in the backfield. The Bucs don't seem too concerned with getting their starters reps in the preseason. That being said, Irving and Tucker should get one more chance to impress the coaching staff during the final preseason game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask was given the start under center once again for the second preseason contest on Saturday. The former second-round pick looked better on the field during this outing. He completed 12-of-19 passing attempts for 108 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions in the loss. This performance should give Trask the edge in his competition with John Wolford for the backup job behind Baker Mayfield. During the second half, Wolford completed 7-of-14 passing attempts for 52 yards in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is still one preseason game left on the schedule. Possibly, Mayfield gets into that contest, but it'll likely be Trask and Wolford for a majority of the snaps.