Tampa Bay Buccaneers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton is coming off his best performance of the season. The 25-year-old hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 100 yards in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Otton has turned it on over the last few weeks and will likely see a bigger role going forward. The Bucs are going to be without their top wide receivers Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) for the foreseeable future. Both players were injured last week and as a result Otton saw 10 targets in that contest. The expectation is that the Bucs will continue to lean on Otton because he continues to produce when called upon. He has done enough lately that fantasy managers should be able to trust him as a TE1 for the upcoming Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer is expected to see a bigger role in the offense going forward. Palmer has been quiet this season with only five receptions for 61 yards heading into the Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. However, the Bucs are going to be without their top wideouts in Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) for multiple weeks. That means, Sterling Shepard, Jalen McMillan, and Palmer should all see increased roles. The 23-year-old only saw three targets last week, but Evans and Godwin were healthy for part of that game. He should see his usage increase, but his value is unpredictable right now. Palmer might have low-end flex value for this weekend's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. He hasn't done enough to be trusted as a starter in most formats.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan is likely going to be asked to play a big role in the offense going forward. The Bucs lost both their top wideouts in Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) during last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That being said, McMillan and Sterling Shepard are expected to be the top options in the passing game going forward. Last week, McMillan hauled in three of his eight targets for 15 yards in the loss. It wasn't a good game for McMillan, but the eight targets shows that the Bucs do have faith in the young wideout. The rookie receiver could end up sliding into the slot role which could be good for his fantasy value. He has a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons defense in Week 8. Fantasy managers should consider McMillan as a low-end WR3 for this weekend.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard will be asked to take on a bigger role during the Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs lost their top two wideouts in Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) during last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. They will now be forced to use the committee of Shepard, Jalen McMillan, and Trey Palmer. The expectation is that running back Rachaad White and tight end Cade Otton will be mixed in as well. It's unknown exactly what the Bucs plan to do without their top options available. That being said, Shepard can't be trusted as more than a low-end flex option. He hasn't done much this season outside of a 51-yard performance in Week 4. Sometimes an increased role doesn't always come along with increased value which could be the case here.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker was quiet during last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Tucker exploded for 136 yards and two touchdowns in Week 6, but was held in check to 29 yards on five carries in the loss. The Bucs are using a three-man committee in the backfield, which is going to make this a messy situation. Tucker appears to be on the bottom of that committee after his dud last week. However, Bucky Irving (toe) is questionable for Week 8, so Tucker might be asked to step into the RB2 role this weekend. If that happens, Tucker could have some flex appeal otherwise fantasy managers can keep him on the bench for their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.