The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Buccaneers skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 14 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Baker Mayfield, QB
Baker Mayfield is a gamer and someone I’d want in my locker room if I was building an NFL franchise, but not someone I’m keeping around for fantasy purposes.
Both things can be true.
He picked up 10 critical yards with his legs to help force overtime against the Panthers, a winning play. In our world, however, he has just one passing touchdown over his past two games (63 pass attempts) and it required a special play from Mike Evans.
Every week, there are some plays that Mayfield makes that are emblematic of a fantasy asset, but those moments haven’t been sustained lately. That is why he sits just outside of my top 10 at the position, even in a plus-matchup (though it should be noted that this defense held Patrick Mahomes to a season-low 56.5% completion rate on Black Friday).
Bucky Irving, RB
There is nothing flash-in-the-pan-ish about what Bucky Irving is doing. Amid a breakout, Irving is still only playing roughly half of the snaps, and it simply doesn’t matter. Over his past three games, the rookie is averaging 24.1 PPR PPG, producing 45.6% over expectations, and looking every bit the part of those impressive numbers.
In those games, Irving is averaging five yards per carry after first contact, giving this offense a component that they’ve been lacking during the Rachaad White era. The Raiders allow the second most red-zone trips per game (3.9) this season, giving me confidence that we are looking at a low-end RB1 this week … and potentially for the remainder of the season.
Flex PPR leaders, Weeks 12-13
- Saquon Barkley: 65.9 PPR points
- Irving: 54.7 PPR points
- DJ Moore: 50.6 PPR points
- Josh Jacobs: 50.3 PPR points
- Terry McLaurin: 48.5 PPR points
Through October, Irving had one game with more than 10 rush attempts. If you stayed loyal during the low-usage start to open the season, you deserve to be paid the way this is lining up — go get a title!
Rachaad White, RB
Rachaad White sprung free for a 38-yard rush late in overtime last week to get the Bucs in position to kick the game-winning field goal, doubling his rushing output for the day in the process.
I can’t remember the last time a running back has ranked as an RB1 for an extended period of time that I’m actively fading at an important time at the level I am White. Since Week 7, he’s been the RB12 (16.1 PPG), but this is an awfully iffy profile as long as Bucky Irving’s hip injury doesn’t prove prohibitive.
Pass catching is White’s calling card, and yet he has just two targets over the past two games. He snapped a five-game scoring streak in Week 13, a run that came on unsustainable efficiency (one score every 10.3 touches; career average: 36.5). By every measure, Irving is the more productive option in this backfield and has the potential to relegate White to a specialist role that offers spotty production at best.
With six teams on a bye, I can only tank him so far down the rankings, but I want it noted that he’s producing over his head; if you buy in, you’re at risk of the rug being pulled out from under you (starting next week in Los Angeles against the Chargers).
Jalen McMillan, WR
The 22-yard catch in overtime last week helped set up a (missed) field goal and there have been enough flashes of potential to be intrigued by Jalen McMillan for 2025, but the lack of consistency in the target department should relegate him to waiver wires in redraft leagues.
I won’t fault you if you want to hold for one more week against a defense that is in the bottom 10 in passer rating and touchdown rate. The Bucs lack a secondary pass catcher next to Mike Evans, but given how many targets this team funnels to the running back position, they are making it work.
McMillan was able to earn just three opportunities against the lowly Panthers last week on 34 routes run. That doesn’t happen to a player who I’m trusting with the fate of my fantasy squad in December.
Mike Evans, WR
Mike Evans made a twirling one-handed grab in the back of the end zone on his first target of Week 13 because that’s what he does. His 101 touchdown catches tell the story of him being as tough a cover in scoring situations as anyone in this generation. Only the Panthers allow more trips inside the 20-yard line than the Raiders this season, and that allows Tampa Bay’s alpha to hold plenty of scoring equity in this spot.
What has me a little worried is the success of underneath options against Vegas and Baker Mayfield’s propensity to use his running backs in those situations. The Raiders have the third-lowest opponent aDOT this year, and the top-eight WR performances against this defense posted a weekly aDOT of 11.5 yards or lower.
Evans’ aDOT is as low as it’s been, but he’s far from a check-down option (aDOT: 12.6). I’d be surprised if we get a repeat of his 8-118-1 stat line from the weekend, and that means he probably doesn’t swing your matchup, but 12-15 PPR points are a good bet and deserving of being locked into your lineup.
Cade Otton, TE
I’m going to keep saying it: Cade Otton isn’t a reliable fantasy option when Mike Evans is on the field. It’s really that simple.
With Mike Evans on the field, 2024:
- 14.8% on-field target share
- 22.9% red-zone target rate
- 3.4 aDOT
Without Mike Evans on the field, 2024:
- 21.5% on-field target share
- 30% red-zone target rate
- 6.9 aDOT
Otton has turned 18 targets into just 85 yards (and no touchdowns) over his past three games, struggles that I’m happy to bet on sustaining both this week and moving forward. He’s a streaming option at best moving forward, not the lineup lock that too many managers still label him as.
