Tampa Bay Buccaneers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is coming off a strong two-touchdown performance during last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Evans already has five touchdowns as they head into their Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Normally, Evans is a strong play as a WR1, but he could run into some trouble this weekend. He'll likely draw star defensive back Marshon Lattimore which could be problematic for Evans. Despite that, Evans should still be able to find success given the high volume of targets he sees on a regular basis. Evans should still be able to carve out low-end WR1 despite a challenging matchup this weekend.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is trending towards making his first career start during Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Fellow back Rachaad White (foot) has been limited to one practice this week and is considered a game-time decision for Week 6. If White sits, Irving is expected to get a majority of the snaps in the backfield. He has been effective this season with 247 yards on 44 carries, which is 5.6 yards per carry. The Saints defense is middle of the road when it comes to defending against the run. Irving should be to find success and is in the RB2 conversation, assuming White is unable to play.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is coming off another strong performance during last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Mayfield threw for 180 yards and tossed three touchdowns as the Bucs took a tough overtime loss. The former first-round pick has thrown 11 touchdowns with only two interceptions through the first five games of the season. He'll now head into a matchup against a tough New Orleans Saints pass defense. Despite that, Mayfield has been able to overcome obstacles all season long and should be in the QB1 conversation for this Week 6 matchup.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (foot) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. White opened the week as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice but was downgraded to a non-participant on Thursday and Friday, which does not bode well for his status this weekend. If White is unable to suit up, fourth-round rookie Bucky Irving would get the starting nod. Irving has seen his opportunities increase over the past few weeks due to his strong efficiency as a runner. If White is unable to play, fantasy managers should feel confident locking Irving into their lineups as a high-upside RB2.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that running back Rachaad White (foot) will be a game-time decision for the Week 6 clash against the division-rival New Orleans Saints on Sunday. If White is unable to gain clearance on Sunday, rookie Bucky Irving will have clear RB2 upside on the road in New Orleans as Tampa's primary back. The good news for fantasy managers hoping to use White this week is that they'll know early on Sunday whether he's good to go. The 25-year-old former third-rounder in 2022 out of Arizona State has averaged a mediocre 3.7 yards per carry through five games in 2024 and has been outperformed by the more explosive Irving so far. Even if White is active this weekend, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him take a back seat to Irving, making him more of a low-upside RB3/flex against a Saints defense that has been above-average this season.