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Be careful before delving into the boxscore between Tampa Bay and New Orleans. I know it sounds delicious. There were 78 points in total! There were 897 yards of offense! Both teams have several must-have fantasy options, right?
So, of course, the fantasy superstar of this game was Sean Tucker, unknown running back for the Buccaneers. Because that’s how fantasy goes sometimes.
First, let’s start with the Tampa Bay players you probably used for fantasy. Baker Mayfield is a carnival at times, but he also produces most weeks. Mayfield threw for 325 yards and four touchdown passes, offsetting three interceptions and scoring 28.8 fantasy points. It’s his third straight game over the 20-point mark, and he was sitting at QB2 with only SNF and MNF on the board. The Buccaneers have surpassed 30 points in four of their games this year, an offense that can generally be relied on.
Chris Godwin took on the Saints’ secondary, going 11-125-2 on 13 targets. He’s had at least five catches in every game and the move to a heavier role seems to suit him. Godwin needed a larger role because Mike Evans was dealing with an undisclosed injury for most of the day, limping through the first half and briefly visiting the locker room. He only had one goal in the second half and finished 2-34-0 on six goals. Variation bites us all sometimes. Cade Otton only had two receptions on his six targets, but one of them was for a short touchdown. You’ll take it during the Tight End blackout of 2024.
Bucky Irving started in the backfield with Rachaad White unavailable and was fine, but not the success we expected (14-81-1 rushing, 2-24-0 receiving). That’s good for 17.5 fantasy points and a top-10 spot with two games left. But Irving has more company in the backfield than we expected, with second-year back Sean Tucker spoiling the party.
Tucker shined with an opening 36-yard touchdown and looked tireless as the finisher at the end, running over and around exhausted defenders in the fourth quarter. He had 136 yards rushing, 56 yards passing and two touchdowns on 17 touches. Say hello to 32.7 fantasy points, largely ignored in Yahoo leagues. Tucker’s roster tag simply increased to 1% on Sunday morning, even after White was officially cut.
Tucker has had a winding football journey. He broke out in 2021 as a sophomore at Syracuse, racking up 1,496 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns, earning first-team All-ACC honors. Averaging 6.1 yards per rush and 12.8 yards per catch, he was on his way to stardom.
Tucker’s statistics regressed in his junior year, in part because Syracuse’s offensive line collapsed. And then He was not drafted in the spring of 2023, largely due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition. That prevented him from doing exercises on the combine.
The Buccaneers added Tucker as a free agent and he was on the roster last season, with limited and mediocre results (15 carries, 23 yards). He had just three touches in the first five weeks of this year, before taking on a key role on Sunday.
It reminds us that there are several potential NFL stars waiting to be discovered, if only they get a chance. Tucker probably needs an injury to White or Irving to have any current fantasy relevance, but maybe there’s something about this performance that the Buccaneers can’t help but see.
As for Spencer Rattler’s starting debut for the Saints, we’d like to not see much of it. He threw a couple of passes, had a fumble and had five sacks. It didn’t help that Chris Olave (concussion) was lost on the first drive of the game, although Rattler showed no chemistry with WR Rashid Shaheed (1-11-0, seven goals). As is common with backup quarterbacks, the featured receiver was a surprise player who wasn’t seen as a primary starter: Bub Means posted a 5-45-1 line on eight targets.
Volume and some touchdown deodorant saved the day for Alvin Kamara: only 64 total yards, but he had five catches and scored once. Nine different players drew a target and none exceeded 54 yards; Obviously, Rattler is a work in progress while Derek Carr is unavailable.
The exciting Buccaneers will take on Baltimore and Atlanta over the next two weeks, so get your popcorn ready. The Saints could struggle to move the ball the rest of this month, facing the Broncos and Chargers.
Other booms and busts of week 6
Cole Kmet’s value is on the rise
Not only did Kmet score twice en route to 21.5 fantasy points in London’s win over Jacksonville, but saw a lot of the countryside (57 plays, 27 routes) while Gerald Everett (18 plays, nine routes) was a non-factor. Bears OC Shane Waldron can be hard to trust at times, but he seems to have accepted that Kmet deserves to be a full-time player, while Everett is just a supporting piece. Kmet was TE7 and TE8 the last two seasonsand is on track to surpass that figure in 2024.
Mixed bag for the Jaguars
It’s strange that the Jaguars didn’t target Brian Thomas Jr. off the bus (six looks simply aren’t enough for their most dynamic player), but at least Evan Engram started executing, capturing all 10 of his looks for a 10-102-0 day. . Engram lost a fumble, but it was still PPR gold for the struggling Jags. Chicago’s defense is formidable, but it was still disappointing to see Tank Bigsby limited to 24 yards on seven carries.
Drake Maye gives Patriots much-needed boost
Let’s say this for the Patriots offense, at least they opened things up with Maye. Sure, the offensive line is a mess and the talent could be better, but Maye still dropped back 37 times (against 26 team rushes) and offered up 243 yards and three touchdowns, catching up against Houston. The two picks, the four sacks; That’s life with a rookie quarterback. But DeMario Douglas (6-91-2) and Hunter Henry (3-41-1) returned home for fantasy, and it’s nice to have at least one other offense worth considering as we navigate the week’s schedule. rest. The Patriots head to London for Jacksonville’s morning game next week.
Zay deserves his flowers
There are a lot of stars in Baltimore, so a game without a touchdown can get lost in the shuffle. But Zay Flowers looked sneaky against Washington, a magnificent 9-132-0 clinic in the first half, catching all his targets. Unfortunately, the Ravens played with the clock in the second half and Flowers did not see a goal in the final 30 minutes. But for all the time we spend trying to figure out Baltimore’s tight end space (hey, Mark Andrews scored!), keep an eye on the emerging superstar on the outside.
McLaurin and Daniels continue to lose
The Commanders couldn’t set up Terry McLaurin on deeper routes, but two short touchdowns are good for fantasy. It’s refreshing to see McLaurin finally play with an above-average quarterback in the NFL. Jayden Daniels had some setbacks in Baltimore, but it’s something that can make a less-than-stellar game and still give us 20+ fantasy points. Sledging will be much easier against Carolina next week.
Same old story for Watson and the Browns
If you’ve seen one Deshaun Watson game, you’ve seen them all. He was limited to 168 passing yards in Philadelphia, suffered five sacks and failed to lead a touchdown drive. Failure has many fathers, of course: there were annulled passes and procedural sanctions; I’m worried about Nick Chubb trying to run behind this shaky offensive line. But Watson continues to look like a physically and mentally beaten man every week, even if the Browns continue to stick with their sunk-cost quarterback.
Note: I’ll continue with additional analysis of Sunday’s list later in the day.
