Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans caught just five of his eight targets for 69 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Evans was the Buccaneers' leading receiver, but managers would have liked to see him rack up a little more production or find the end zone with a potential berth in the fantasy championship on the line. For the veteran receiver, all eyes are on the 1,000-yard mark. Evans has eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 NFL seasons, but he's not a lock to reach that threshold in 2024. The 31-year-old needs 182 yards over his final two games to achieve the big milestone. From a fantasy perspective, he should continue to be viewed as a low-end WR1 option heading into next week's battle with a subpar Carolina Panthers defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White rushed for 10 yards on three carries during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. More importantly, he caught seven of his eight targets for an additional 50 yards through the air. This showing helped fantasy managers in PPR leagues, but his production was arguably all for naught as he coughed up a game-losing fumble in the final minutes of Sunday Night Football. Given that White registered just three carries to Bucky Irving's 16, he'll likely need to maintain a very large role in the passing game in order to have fantasy value going forward. With that said, pass-catching productivity hasn't been an issue so far for White, who has scored more than eight fantasy points (PPR) in all but one of his games this year. The 25-year-old is an appealing RB2 or RB3 option heading into Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers. When he last faced Carolina, White had a whopping 6.9 yards per carry but caught just one pass.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 31 of 43 pass attempts for 303 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He also took four sacks and rushed for 42 yards. Finally, Mayfield fumbled once, but he was able to pick up the loose ball. All in all, Mayfield had a solid showing, but it wasn't enough to propel Tampa Bay over Dallas. The 29-year-old ranks as a top-six fantasy quarterback this season with his 3,920 yards, 37 total touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Fantasy managers should view him as a top option among quarterbacks when he takes on a subpar Carolina Panthers defense in Week 17, coinciding with most fantasy leagues' championships.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) injured his hamstring in the Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 and was ruled out. It was a frustrating night for anyone that used Shepard in their starting fantasy lineups in deeper leagues, as he ends up finishing the contest with only one reception on three targets for 20 yards. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher injured his hamstring during a run in the third quarter. If he is unable to play in Week 17 versus the division-rival Carolina Panthers in a good matchup, Trey Palmer would most likely serve as Tampa's No. 3 wideout behind Mike Evans and rookie Jalen McMillan. Shepard came into the Week 16 game on Sunday night outside of the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points scored per game this year, so he hasn't been much more than a bye-week streamer, even with Chris Godwin (ankle) out for the season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (knee) has been downgraded to out for Sunday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16. The Bucs will be without Otton and will play Payne Durham at tight end in his absence. Otton was a big pass-catching threat at the position but Durham has caught just two passes so far this season. It will be a big fantasy downgrade at the position for Tampa Bay which also expects Ko Kieft and Devin Culp to fill in some at tight end. Kieft and Culp have yet to catch a pass this season. Expect wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan to benefit the most from Otton's absence, likely seeing an uptick in targets.