Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

Across 17 games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker logged 354 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns on 94 touches. Tucker has flashed upside over the first three seasons of his career with Tampa Bay, including a three-touchdown performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 of 2025. However, Tucker has consistently found himself buried on the Buccaneers' running back depth chart and has never been able to carve out a consistent, every-week role in the team's offense. A similar dynamic seems likely to be at play in 2026, as Tampa Bay added veteran back Kenneth Gainwell in free agency to complement RB1 Bucky Irving. Tucker could have a chance to emerge should either Irving or Gainwell suffer an injury, which gives him some deep-league value. Still, Tucker's dynasty value would likely benefit from a change in scenery as he enters his age-25 season in 2026.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was unable to recapture the rookie season magic that made him fantasy's RB14 in 2024. Missing seven games in 2025 with foot and shoulder injuries, Irving was absent for much of Tampa's early-season success, returning to a unit that looked largely out of sorts to finish the year, resulting in the firing of first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. While Irving's touchdown totals were way down from 2024, his 86.5 yards from scrimmage per game still had him on a 17-game pace of 1,470 yards and almost seven scores. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson arrived from Atlanta with a stated goal of involving Irving in the passing game, as he had Bijan Robinson, and while the free agent acquisition of Kenneth Gainwell is likely to take a solid chunk of receiving work off his plate, Irving is potentially being slept on as RotoBaller's dynasty RB16 and falling. With the Buccaneers' offensive line expected to be healthier in 2026, his per carry average could look closer to the 5.4 yards from his rookie campaign than the 3.4 yard clip of 2025, and with Gainwell only once handling more than 85 carries in his five-year career, Irving should see enough total volume to put him back into the dynasty RB1 conversation.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka had one of the best starts to a career the league has ever seen. Through the first five weeks of his 2025 rookie campaign, Egbuka caught 25 passes for 445 yards and five touchdowns and saw his consensus dynasty value rise all the way to WR8, becoming one of the most sought-after players in the game. A second-half collapse saw the Buccaneers fall out of playoff contention, and no player took a bigger hit than Egbuka, seemingly unable to connect with quarterback Baker Mayfield down the stretch. Dynasty managers who bought high watched his value crumble, but with veteran receiver Mike Evans moving on to San Francisco and the team replacing first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard with McVay disciple Zac Robinson, Egbuka has been widely viewed as an offseason winner, as reflected by his rising dynasty ranking, back up to RotoBaller's WR10. Still part of a crowded group of pass catchers, it's unlikely he will return to his early rookie season peak, but the 23-year-old Egbuka can still be a building-block piece for any dynasty roster, and the week-winning ceiling he's already displayed will help him hold value moving forward.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell put together the most productive season of his career while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, recording 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns on 187 touches across 17 games. Gainwell emerged as a security blanket for Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the passing game, finishing the year with 73 catches for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 85 targets. The Bucs rewarded Gainwell with a two-year contract in free agency, and he now projects as the 1B option in the Tampa Bay backfield behind Bucky Irving. Gainwell may not see as many targets from Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield as he did from Rodgers, which would hurt his fantasy production. However, Gainwell should still play a role in the Tampa Bay passing game and could emerge as the team's go-to option in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Irving also has to be considered an injury risk after missing seven games with foot and shoulder injuries in 2025. Gainwell's dynasty value would have benefited more had he signed somewhere as a clear starter, but his stock is still up following his breakout 2025 season in Pittsburgh.

A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson entered his rookie season buried on his team's depth chart. However, myriad injuries to the Bucs' wide receiver corps opened the door for Johnson to see the field, and he finished 2025 with 28 receptions for 322 yards and five touchdowns on 44 targets across 16 games (eight starts). While Johnson flashed upside when given the opportunity, he lost playing time as Tampa Bay got healthier down the stretch of the season. Johnson failed to play more than 25% of the team's offensive snaps in any of its final four games of the year. Entering 2026, Johnson projects to be behind Bucs wideouts Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan on the depth chart. Tampa Bay also used a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst, which could push Johnson even further down the target pecking order. Given the uphill battle he faces for playing time in Tampa Bay, Johnson's dynasty stock is down as he enters his second NFL season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has caught exactly 59 passes in each of the past two seasons while averaging 586 receiving yards. His 11 total touchdowns across his four professional seasons point to a ceiling incapable of winning leagues, but he has long provided an underrated floor. With the Buccaneers' relatively quiet offseason already leading into organized team activities, Otton should continue to provide quality depth as a second or third tight end in dynasty leagues. The Buccaneers were a team commonly linked to Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq throughout the pre-draft process, but with Rueben Bain Jr. falling to them in the first, Tampa did not make any offensive selections until receiver Ted Hurst in the third. Hurst and free agent running back Kenneth Gainwell will help to soften the blow of losing Mike Evans and his average receiving line of 72 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns from the past 12 seasons, but in a tight end room with only Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, and sixth-round rookie Bauer Sharp, Otton's role could also expand. His rapport with Baker Mayfield makes him a natural candidate to inherit some of Evans' vacated targets, and at RotoBaller's dynasty TE32, Otton is perennially underrated as a depth piece who can be trusted to get contending managers through the inevitable stretch of injuries and bye weeks that pop up every season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield still finished as the QB12 in fantasy football last season, but it was a down year by his standards. He had been the QB10 and QB4 in the previous two seasons, and he finished 2025 with a relatively underwhelming stat line of 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. While some of the blame can be attributed to a wide receiver room that struggled to stay healthy, we would have liked to see him prevail and continue to produce, especially since it's such a talented wide receiver depth chart. Mike Evans departed in free agency, but with Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan at his disposal, Mayfield still has plenty of targets who can help him get back to the top-eight range in fantasy football. He could also benefit from a coaching staff change, as the Bucs brought in Zac Robinson to replace offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. Furthermore, there could be some added motivation from the fact that Mayfield is heading into a contract year. If he doesn't sign an extension before the season, there's a chance he could be showcasing himself for all 32 teams. With that being said, there's also slightly less certainty about his future beyond 2026, which is why we've seen him drop to QB19 in RotoBaller's dynasty fantasy football rankings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up the fifth-year option on the contract of defensive lineman Calijah Kancey on Monday, according to Scott Smith of the team's official website. Kancey will now be under contract through the 2027 season and will make $14.475 million next year. The 25-year-old was the team's first-round pick (19th overall) in 2023 out of Pittsburgh. The Bucs still believe in Kancey, even though he played in only three games in 2025 due to a pectoral injury that he originally suffered in Week 2. In his first two years in the league, Kancey registered 54 tackles (41 solo), 11.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, 29 QB hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 26 starts. According to Next Gen Stats, he has 66 QB pressures in 29 career games. Kancey's statistics for IDP fantasy leagues don't exactly stand out at first glance, but he's definitely been a disruptor on the defensive line for Tampa when he's been healthy. The Bucs defense will be in a much better spot in 2026 if Kancey can stay on the field in his fourth year in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. is coming off a year in which he saw career lows in receptions, yards, and yards per route run, while his two receiving touchdowns were the lowest since his rookie season. However, he is now 18 months removed from the gruesome lower leg injury that ended his 2024 season and limited him at times throughout 2025. Prior to the injury, he was the fantasy WR2 through the first seven weeks of his age-28 season. Now 30, any fears that he may be slowing down did not show up in the Buccaneers' offseason approach. The team allowed Mike Evans to depart in free agency and spent only a late Day 2 pick on the receiver position, adding Georgia State's Ted Hurst in the middle of the third round. Hurst will likely compete with Jalen McMillan for Evans' vacated snaps on the boundary, while Godwin and Emeka Egbuka offer versatility across the formation and should be the team's most consistent target-earners in 2026. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR49, Godwin is a low-cost buy for competing managers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected LSU tight end Bauer Sharp with the 185th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. A converted quarterback, Sharp began his collegiate career at Southeastern Louisiana with a stop at Oklahoma before his senior season in the bayou. He never topped 325 receiving yards or three touchdowns in a season, but he offers special teams experience, which will likely be his most direct path to finding an NFL field. His strong hands could make him a receiving option in a pinch, but he should not be viewed as a threat to eat into Cade Otton's still representable fantasy value.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Georgia State wide receiver prospect Ted Hurst with the 84th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He contributed during both of his seasons in the Sun Belt Conference, totaling 127 catches for 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns. This is more of a developmental selection for the Bucs, as Hurst has a history of drops and may deal with some adversity while adjusting to the NFL style of play. With that said, he has impressive upside in a Bucs offense that loves spreading the ball around to multiple receivers. Presumably, Hurst will have a chance to immediately compete for the No. 4 receiver role behind Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan. He's the overall WR90 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Miami defensive end prospect Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Bain contributed during all three of his collegiate seasons, totaling 33.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks by the end of his NCAA career. In 2025 alone, he racked up 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, all of which were career-high marks. He posted an elite 92.8 PFF grade during his final year at Miami, including a 78.9 tackling grade in the national championship against Indiana. Bain, who was the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, will offer the Bucs a key pass-rushing threat on the end of the defensive line. He projects to play opposite Calijah Kancey, who is averaging 6.7 sacks per 17-game pace throughout his NFL career.

The dynasty value of Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan has been difficult to gauge through his first two seasons in the league, making him an attractive low-cost buy before this week's NFL Draft. A third-round pick in 2024, his rookie season began slowly but took off late in the year. On the strength of eight receiving touchdowns across his final five games, McMillan was the WR7 from Weeks 14 through 18. Peaking as KeepTradeCut's WR30 in the early 2025 offseason, any hopes of a true sophomore breakout were suppressed when the Buccaneers used the 19th overall pick on Emeka Egbuka and then fully extinguished when a scary preseason neck injury cost McMillan all but four games in 2025. With the Buccaneers' offense struggling as a whole by the time he returned, McMillan still managed to top 100 yards in Week 17, providing a WR10 finish in fantasy championship week and reminding managers of his spike potential. With Mike Evans signing a three-year deal with the 49ers in free agency, McMillan could be primed for his biggest role to date as the most prototypical boundary receiver remaining in Tampa. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR65, McMillan is a low-cost acquisition who has already shown the ability to win weeks, making him particularly undervalued in best-ball formats.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially re-signed restricted free-agent running back Sean Tucker to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Sports. Tucker will once again carry minimal fantasy football value into the 2026 season as the team's RB3 behind Bucky Irving and new RB Kenneth Gainwell. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Syracuse saw career-highs in carries (86), rushing yards (320), and touchdowns (seven) with the Bucs in 17 games played in his third year in the league as the RB3 behind Irving and Rachaad White. It helped that Irving missed considerable time in the middle of the season due to injuries, giving Tucker a bigger workload for a nice stretch alongside White. Tucker probably only deserves to be rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues heading into the start of the 2026 campaign later this year. He's averaged 4.3 yards per carry with 651 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 45 games (zero starts) in his three NFL seasons, adding just 19 catches for 152 yards and two receiving scores on 25 targets.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was one of the breakout success stories of the 2024 season, recording over 1,500 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. However, foot and shoulder injuries caused him to miss seven games in 2025 and limited him to just 865 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns for the year. Irving's efficiency as a rusher also plummeted precipitously, as he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry after averaging 5.4 yards per carry in 2024. Irving could easily bounce back with better health in 2026. However, Irving's stature as an undersized back leads to questions about whether he can make it through a full NFL season healthy. Additionally, Tampa Bay signed veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell to a two-year contract in free agency. Gainwell topped 1,000 scrimmage yards as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, and his presence caps Irving's workload upside. While Irving still carries plenty of fantasy upside, his dynasty value is more of an open question coming off a down season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka was an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate at some points during the 2025 NFL season, but his somewhat underwhelming second half took him out of the running for the award. Along the way, Egbuka's high dynasty stock decreased slightly, creating a "buy" opportunity for managers in some dynasty leagues this offseason. The Ohio State product's subpar production during the second half was frustrating, but there's absolutely no reason to panic going forward. He has still shown that he can be a top-tier receiver in the NFL, winning matchups against defenders and scoring plenty of touchdowns. Now, he'll have an opportunity to do so more often with Mike Evans gone. Evans left for the 49ers in free agency, leaving Egbuka as the Bucs' top receiver over Chris Godwin Jr. Egbuka ranks as the WR12 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. That's nothing to scoff at, but he also has top-five upside if the Bucs' offense can find more of a rhythm in 2026. Believe it or not, Egbuka is still a reasonable trade target in many dynasty leagues.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker had some usable fantasy moments and one week-winning performance in 2025, operating primarily as the third option in a top-loaded rotation. While some of the names have changed for 2026, Tucker's situation appears to be quite similar, with any fantasy relevance still tied to an injury ahead of him on the depth chart. His 140-yard, three-touchdown blowup in Week 11 came with Bucky Irving sidelined with foot and shoulder injuries and Rachaad White falling out of favor. White has since been replaced by Kenneth Gainwell, who will likely carve out the lion's share of the running back receiving work after banking a career-high 73 receptions with the Steelers in 2025. Irving, even while banged up and inefficient in his second season, still saw more than double Tucker's total carries while playing in five fewer games. With an expected return to health in 2026, that ratio could grow even more lopsided, leaving the 2023 undrafted free agent with very little standalone value.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell was one of the league's biggest surprises in 2025, with his career-high 73 receptions trailing only Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs at the position. After keeping such elite company, he leveraged his receiving success into a two-year, $14 million deal with the Buccaneers, where he joins a team and a new offensive coordinator with prior histories of involving running backs in the passing game. Zac Robinson raised eyebrows when he initially stated his intent to deploy Bucky Irving similarly to the way he used Robinson in Atlanta, but the signing of Gainwell on the first day of free agency would suggest the bulk of the running back targets could go elsewhere. Last season, while Gainwell was nearly doubling his career receiving production in Pittsburgh, an injury-slowed Irving was splitting time with, and ceding much of the passing game work to, Rachaad White. While both backs bring versatility to what will be a new look Buccaneers offense in 2026, the safe bet will be for Gainwell to find most of his fantasy success as the dedicated passing back, as his 114 carries in 2025 also marked a career high, but were easily surpassed by Irving in only 10 games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson wasn't a steady fantasy option last year, but his 322 yards and five touchdowns were enough to turn some heads. Scoring five touchdowns as a rookie isn't easy, especially for a seventh-round pick buried on the depth chart. Nevertheless, Johnson emerged as a decent fantasy contributor, often filling in productivity-wise for any injured players among the core of Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, and Chris Godwin Jr. The good news for Johnson is that Evans has departed, leaving one fewer mouth to feed on offense. The bad news, though, is that Johnson's five touchdowns are not sustainable as long as he occupies a depth role. He's merely a depth receiver for now, but given how often wide receiver injuries occur in the NFL, there's a nonzero chance that Johnson could end up making a fantasy impact in 2026. Still, the anticipated touchdown regression has dropped Johnson down to WR95 in the latest RotoBaller dynasty rankings.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has been a reliable NFL producer who has made the occasional blip on the fantasy radar, most notably when a handful of high-volume games allowed him to land as the TE13 in 2024. While it's unlikely that many dynasty managers are rostering Otton as their TE1, he's been a fine depth piece to have for the occasional bye week or injury spot start. However, with Tampa picking at number 15 in the upcoming NFL Draft, the team has frequently been linked to Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, an athletic marvel whose presence on the roster could push Otton toward fantasy irrelevancy. Even if the Buccaneers elect to go in another direction on Night 1, this is a deep tight end class with a number of prospects capable of creating at least a messy timeshare. While praising the group he already has in-house, general manager Jason Licht recently told reporters, "It would be great to add a tight end to the roster who brings an element that some of the others don't." Otton is currently RotoBaller's TE30 in dynasty rankings.