Tampa Bay Buccaneers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. As Week 16 prep begins, the Buccaneers are without their No. 3 receiver. Any sort of injury should raise concern for fantasy managers, especially with the fantasy playoffs in full swing. However, it's too early to hit the panic button. Shepard still has two more opportunities to log a limited or full practice when the Buccaneers take the field on Thursday and Friday. If his participation status improves and he manages to play in Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys, Shepard would rank as a low-end WR4 for fantasy purposes.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (knee) did not participate in practice on Wednesday. As preparation for Week 16 begins, Otton was not involved. Although any sort of injury is concerning, especially in the fantasy football playoffs, managers should not panic yet. Otton still has two more days to log a limited or full practice, which would put him in a good position to play on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. If the 25-year-old suits up, he'd rank as a low-end TE1 in most fantasy leagues.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (back, hip) was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday. The rookie has appeared in all 14 games this season but has played more than 55 percent of offensive snaps in just one game. So far, he has 852 rushing yards, 296 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. We previously heard that Irving's back tightened up in Week 14, but he recovered in time for last Sunday's game and it doesn't seem like it will be an issue for Week 16. All signs point to Irving and Rachaad White continuing to split opportunities out of the backfield. Both players are solid RB2 options for fantasy football ahead of Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers listed quarterback Baker Mayfield (knee) as a non-participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday due to a knee injury. It's unclear as of right now if Mayfield's knee injury is serious enough to keep him out of Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night or if the Bucs are just giving the veteran QB some extra rest late in the season. The 29-year-old went off in a very tough matchup in the Week 15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, going 22-for-27 for 288 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Mayfield has a career-high 32 touchdown passes in 2024, and barring a late-season injury, he will surpass 4,000 passing yards for a second straight season. Keep an eye on Mayfield's practice status the rest of the week, but if he's available, he'll be a solid midrange QB1 for fantasy against a beatable Dallas defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton took a backseat in the offense during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Otton finished with a 70-yard performance last week, but was unable to keep the momentum going this weekend. He hauled in two of his three targets for 24 yards in the win. His biggest contribution was a key block on the Jalen McMillan touchdown grab in the first quarter. Otton has finished with 30 receiving yards or less in three of the last four games. Fantasy managers can keep him on the TE2 radar for next week against the Dallas Cowboys.