The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense might not be ready for prime time yet, but it’s getting there. Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 247 yards and had a rushing touchdown, while Mike Evans went over 100 yards receiving in Sunday’s 32-18 loss to the New York Giants.
Winston’s rushing touchdown brought the Bucs within two points at 20-18 early in the fourth quarter. The Giants would score the game’s final 12 points, including a return for a touchdown on a fumble to close out the game. Tampa Bay lost three fumbles and had nine penalties in the game, a sign of the sloppiness that often pervades young teams.
Here is a look at how the Bucs’ offensive leaders fared overall and a look at their fantasy statuses going forward.
Jameis Winston
Winston’s a bye-week replacement in standard leagues but little else. He’s yet to throw for more than two touchdowns in a game and has posted one or fewer five times. While it’s clear Winston is making strides as an NFL passer, those aren’t coming with a major ascent as a fantasy option.
There are too many other good options out there to own Winston in non-dynasty leagues. Jay Cutler, Marcus Mariota and Joe Flacco are available in more than 50 percent of ESPN.com leagues, while the likes of Derek Carr and Tyrod Taylor are still available in more than 40 percent. Those are likely shallower leagues—not the type you’d typically own Winston in—but for the most part there should be better bye-week replacements.
As it stands, Winston is a deeper league bye-week replacement and someone to monitor in keeper leagues. That’s it.
Charles Sims
Outlier alert, outlier alert, outlier alert…
You get the point. Sims got an extended look after starter Doug Martin looked bad early, fumbling and dropping a pass that probably would have resulted in a touchdown. The West Virginia product made the most of it by burning off a 59-yard run, but he was otherwise largely ineffective. Take away that one carry, and Sims carried the ball seven times for 19 yards.
There is nothing here to suggest that Martin will or should lose his job. The 26-year-old came into Week 9 fourth in rushing yards behind only Devonta Freeman, Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson. Keep Sims in mind as a potential handcuff in deeper leagues, but he’s not worth owning in most standard formats.
Mike Evans
It appears we’re not going to get much in the way of consistency from Evans in 2015. The second-year wideout has had three games of over 100 yards…and five of fewer than 50. He’s scored once all season. This isn’t someone around whom you can build a fantasy team, nor is it a player you can count on for much beyond a flex play.
Odds are you drafted Evans to be much more than an inconsistent flex play. We all did it. He was sensational for most of 2014 with Josh McCown throwing him wounded ducks. Winston was better at football from the moment he arrived. Following that logic thread, it would stand to reason that Evans was due for a big sophomore season.
As it stands, it’s likely his stat line will look similar overall to 2014 but with quite a reduction in touchdowns. (Worth monitoring: Evans has two big games in three weeks; the second half could be bringing something special.)
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.
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