Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cody Thompson has put together strong performances over the last two preseason contests. Thompson hauled in five receptions last week and he was able to top that on Friday. The 28-year-old hauled in seven of his eight targets for 45 yards in the win over the Miami Dolphins. Sadly for Thompson, the Bucs have pretty solid depth in terms of wide receiver. However, Thompson has certainly done enough to earn himself a spot on the 53-man roster. It remains to be seen if the team decides to keep him, but Thompson could be an asset if a few injuries happen. He won't have fantasy value to begin the season, but Thompson has played well enough to stick around on this roster.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was once again heavily involved in the offense during Friday's preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins. The rookie back saw six carries for 26 yards while hauling in his lone target for five yards in the win. Irving has been competing with Sean Tucker for the backup role behind Rachaad White to begin the season. Honestly, neither back has really done enough to separate themselves during the preseason. The expectation is that both backs could see minor roles behind White to start the season. Between the two, Irving has the higher upside and is the better long term hold for fantasy managers in deep leagues or dynasty formats. However, it's unlikely that either back has weekly fantasy value with White being the workhorse back.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan has made a strong case for the No. 3 role on this offense. The rookie wideout has been battling with Trey Palmer for the third wideout spot behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. McMillan was on the field for all the first-team snaps during Friday's preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins. The rookie wideout hauled in his lone target for 28 yards in the win. McMillan has been quiet during the preseason games but he remains the favorite for the No. 3 role heading into the regular season. On paper that sounds great, but McMillan probably won't see a ton of action with Evans and Godwin healthy. There could be some deep league value, but McMillan is unlikely to make a significant impact right away.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told the Buccaneers Radio Network that wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Lavonte David will not play in the preseason finale on Friday night against the visiting Miami Dolphins. It's not injury-related at all, with the Bucs just giving them the night off, similar to a veteran's day in practice. Many NFL teams around the league are resting their starters this weekend in their final preseason contests. The 31-year-old Evans will work again with quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2024 after the two showed plenty of chemistry in 2023. Evans saw his most targets (136), catches (79) and yards (1,255) since 2018 and found the end zone a league-leading 13 times. Fantasy managers should expect TD regression, but other than that, Evans should see heavy volume yet again, making him a solid low-end WR1/high-end WR2 target in fantasy drafts.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has confirmed the team's starters will play in Friday's preseason finale against the visiting Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium, so running back Rachaad White will take the field on Friday. Throughout the preseason, rookie fourth-rounder Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker took the majority of reps with White on the sideline. White was a workhorse for the Bucs in 2023, finishing the year with 1,539 scrimmage yards on 272 carries for 990 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, and 3.6 yards per attempt. In addition, he showcased his pass-catching ability out of the backfield with 549 receiving yards on 70 catches for an average of 8.6 yards per reception. The 25-year-old's inefficiency on the ground puts him in dead-zone fantasy territory among RBs this summer, but White is certainly a solid RB2 option to begin the year as Tampa Bay's lead back.