Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Buccaneers RB Rachaad White had his most efficient rushing outing of the season in the Week 5 loss to the Falcons, taking 10 carries for 72 yards. The majority of that damage came on a career-long 56-yarder in the second quarter. White's other nine carries totaled 16 yards (1.8 YPC). And his three catches went backward six yards.

Bucs WRs Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Trey Palmer (concussion) are out for Thursday night's game vs. the Falcons. That'll leave Sterling Shepard as Tampa's No. 3 WR -- and push more targets to WR Chris Godwin, WR Mike Evans, and even TE Cade Otton. Otton is a viable Week 5 spot starter after compiling 17 targets over the past two weeks.

The Buccaneers have ruled out S Antoine Winfield Jr. for Thursday night's game against the Falcons. It'll mark his fourth straight missed game following an ankle sprain late in Week 1. But Winfield did put in a limited practice Wednesday, his first participation since the injury. We'll see if the 10 days between that Week 5 contest and the Week 6 visit to New Orleans gives Winfield enough time to return. Reports initially said the team expected Winfield to miss "at least" two weeks. That the Bucs didn't put Winfield on IR, though, pointed to their hope that he'd return inside four games. DT Calijah Kancey (calf) has also been ruled out for Week 5. He has yet to play this season because of that injury and didn't practice at all this week.

Buccaneers TE Cade Otton caught six passes for 52 yards in Sunday's win over the Eagles. His 9 targets matched WR Chris Godwin for second on the team. That followed a 7-47 receiving day for Otton in the Week 3 loss to the Broncos. QB Baker Mayfield attempted 47 passes against Philadelphia, his most in any game since joining the Bucs and tied for the second-most in a game for Mayfield's career. That came despite Tampa Bay jumping out to 24-0 lead by the middle of the second quarter. In short, Otton benefited from atypical passing volume. He would need a more permanent shift on that front to support weekly fantasy viability. I'm staying skeptical on Otton as a real lineup option for now. That said, injuries to WRs Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer that leave them unlikely to play Thursday make Otton worth a look for Week 5 -- especially with four teams on bye.

Buccaneers WR Mike Evans bounced back from a 2-17 receiving line in Week 3 against Denver for big production in Sunday's win over the Eagles. He led the team in targets (14), receptions (8), and receiving yards (94), and snagged the game's first TD from 2 yards out.

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield threw for 347 yards, 2 TDs, and no INTs in Sunday's lopsided win over the Eagles. Tampa Bay dropped Mayfield back 51 times vs. just 24 designed run plays despite jumping out to a 24-0 lead by the middle of the second quarter. That indicates a plan to target the Philly secondary -- and it worked. The QB added a 1-yard rushing score early in the second quarter.

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles said after Week 3 that rookie RB Bucky Irving "has definitely earned more reps." Bucs coaches proved Sunday he meant it. Irving matched Rachaad White at 10 carries apiece. He also ran 20 pass routes to White's 24, drawing 2 targets to White's 3. Both RBs rushed for 49 yards. White's 2-35 receiving line easily beat Irving's 1 reception for 6 yards.

Bucs WR Trey Palmer sustained a concussion in the first half of Sunday's game vs. the Eagles and is done for the day. Tamps is already without WR Jalen McMillan, who hurt his hamstring in Friday's practice. WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans will continue to dominate Bucs targets.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan (hamstring) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Eagles. The rookie hurt a hamstring in practice on Friday and could miss multiple games. Trey Palmer will slide in as Tampa’s No. 3 WR today but isn’t a fantasy option.

Bucs RBs Rachaad White (illness) and Bucky Irving (hamstring) are active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. White dealt with food poisoning late in the week, while Irving got in just limited practices on Wednesday and Friday. This is one of the tougher backfields to predict in Week 4 after Irving out-carried White last week. See where both guys land in the RB Rankings.

Bucs RBs Rachaad White (illness) and Bucky Irving (hamstring) are expected to play vs. the Eagles today, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. "White was dealing with food poisoning and already feels better," Schefter tweeted. Irving got in just two limited practices this week but reportedly looked fine on Friday. See where both guys sit in the updated Week 4 RB Rankings.

Buccaneers RB Rachaad White is now questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles because of illness, according to multiple reports. Players most commonly play through such designations for illness. But the late arrival of White's issue could factor into his availability. RB Bucky Irving is also questionable with a hamstring injury, though he has said he expects to play and appeared to be moving well when testing it out Saturday. We'll check both Tampa Bay RBs when Sunday's inactives arrive.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan injured a hamstring in Friday's practice and is listed as doubtful for this weekend's game vs. the Eagles. We'll see if the rookie misses more time beyond Week 4. His absence will elevate WR Trey Palmer to the No. 3 role, but he remains off the fantasy radar.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving (hamstring) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Eagles. He went from a limited practice on Wednesday to no practice on Thursday to limited again on Friday. “Looked like his hamstring wasn’t limiting him today at practice,” insider Greg Auman tweeted Friday. We’re expecting Irving to play, but the hamstring issue adds risk to a guy who was already a fringey RB3.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving (hamstring) did not practice on Thursday. It's a downgrade from his limited workout on Wednesday. Irving told reporters that he'll play vs. the Eagles this weekend, but take that with a hefty grain of salt. We'll see if the rookie gets back on the field on Friday and then how he's listed on the final injury report. His absence would be a significant boost to RB Rachaad White's Week 4 fantasy value.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles said Monday that RB Bucky Irving "has definitely earned more reps." Irving was out-snapped 42 to 18 by RB Rachaad White in the Week 3 loss to the Broncos. Bowles said that was due to his team playing from behind. White remains the preferred back in passing situations. But it sounds like that gap in snaps should shrink in the coming weeks.

Godwin had a final stat line of six catches on nine targets for 53 yards and a TD. He led the team in targets again this week while Mike Evans disappointed with a stat line of two catches on three targets for 17 yards.

The rookie ran nine times for 70 yards adding three catches for 14 yards while Rachaad White had six rushes for 17 yards and five catches for 18 yards.

Bucs RB Rachaad White suffered a groin injury in the first quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Lions and is officially questionable to return. Stay tuned for an update. White's absence leaves rookie Bucky Irving as Tampa Bay's lead back.

Update: White returned to the game later in the first quarter.

Buccaneers CB Zyon McCollum has cleared the concussion protocol and will play today against the Lions, ESPN's Jenna Laine reports.