Tampa Bay Buccaneers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot) is missing a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday. Shepard's availability for the Week 15 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday is now firmly up in the air. Top wideout Mike Evans (hamstring) has also yet to practice this week, so Tampa's receiving group could be noticeably thin this weekend against a strong Chargers defense. Evans missed two practices last week before ultimately playing, though, so we're a bit less concerned about his availability. The 31-year-old Shepard will need to practice on Friday to have a shot at suiting up on Sunday. Although he hasn't been on the field all that much in recent weeks, Shepard has remain involved, catching 13 passes for 121 yards. If he is unable to get the green light to play, rookie Jalen McMillan, who scored twice last week, would be an enticing flex option for fantasy managers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) was not seen on the field for the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday. Evans is shaping up to be a DNP for the second straight day this week, which is exactly what transpired last week before he returned to practice on Friday and played in the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The 31-year-old future Hall of Famer ended up playing 85 percent of the team's offensive snaps last Sunday while catching four of his five targets for 69 yards. This week's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers' stingy defense is certainly less appealing from a fantasy perspective, but Evans should be active as long as he gets some practice in on Friday. Evans is averaging 12.3 half-PPR points in 10 games this year (tied for 16th among wideouts), so fantasy managers will want him in their starting lineups this weekend if he's active.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (back, hip) wasn't seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, so it's looking like he'll open up Week 15 preparation with two DNPs. Irving missed the first two practices last week as well before being limited on Friday. The 22-year-old was questionable but was active for the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but he left the contest after playing only 10 snaps on offense. It led to a big day for Rachaad White, who would be in line for another bigger workload as Tampa's primary backfield option if Irving is limited again or out entirely this weekend versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Irving has been Tampa's most productive and efficient RB this year and is averaging 12.1 half-PPR points per game, but he's shaping up as a pretty risky RB3/flex in the first round of the fantasy playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot) didn't participate during Wednesday's practice session. This is an interesting development as Shepard appeared to be fine during Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Fantasy managers will need to monitor Shepard's status throughout the week. If active, Shepard should be considered a low-end flex option for this week's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. If he sits, Jalen McMillan would likely see more targets coming his way.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (hip, back) was unable to suit up for Wednesday's practice. The rookie back only made it through four carries before exiting Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The MRI came back clean on Irving, so he shouldn't miss significant time. It's not shocking to see Irving sitting out of practice to begin the week, but fantasy managers shouldn't lose hope yet. If active, Irving should be considered a low-end RB1 for this weekend's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Otherwise, Rachaad White would have stronger streaming appeal if Irving is unable to play.