Be careful before you get into this Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans game result. I know it sounds delightful. We scored a total of 78 points! There were 897 yards to attack! Both teams have some fantasy options to start with, right?
So of course the fantasy superstar of this game was Sean Tucker unannounced running away from the Buccaneers. Because that's what happens with fantasy sometimes.
Let's start with the Tampa Bay players you probably used in fantasy games. Baker Mayfield is sometimes a carnival, but most weeks he also produces. Mayfield threw for 325 yards and four passing touchdowns, offsetting three interceptions, and giving him 28.8 fantasy points. This is his third straight game over 20 points, and he sat in QB2 with only SNF and MNF to his name. The Buccaneers have scored over 30 points in four games this year, and this is an offense that can generally be trusted.
Chris Godwin took on the Saints secondary, scoring 11-125-2 on 13 targets. He had at least five receptions in every game and seems to be enjoying the change to a more frequent role. Godwin needed a bigger role as Mike Evans dealt with an undisclosed injury for much of the day, limping through the first half and making a brief visit to the locker room. He scored just one goal in the second half and finished the game with a record of 2-34-0 on six targets. Variance bites us all sometimes. Cade Otton caught just two of his six targets, but one of them went for a short touchdown. You'll do it during the 2024 Tight End Blackout.
Bucky Irving started the game on defense and Rachaad White was unavailable and performed well, but not quite as we expected (14-81-1 in attack, 2-24-0 in receiving). That's good for 17.5 fantasy points and a top-10 finish with two games left. However, Irving has more company in the backfield than we expected, and second-year defenseman Sean Tucker is crashing the party.
Tucker flashed a 36-yard touchdown and looked tirelessly as a shutout late in the fourth quarter, running around gassed defenders. He added 136 yards on the ground, 56 yards in the air and two touchdowns on 17 touches. Say hello to 32.7 fantasy points, largely ignored in Yahoo leagues. On Sunday morning, Tucker's lineup rate had only increased to 1%, even after White was officially eliminated.
Tucker has had a winding football journey. He debuted in 2021 as a sophomore at Syracuse, rushing for 1,496 yards and 14 total touchdowns, earning first-team All-ACC honors. Averaging 6.1 yards per run and 12.8 yards per catch, he was on his way to stardom.
Tucker's statistics dropped during his junior year, due in part to the collapse of Syracuse's offensive line. And then in the spring of 2023, he was not drafted, mainly due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition that kept him from conducting training at the combine.
The Buccaneers added Tucker as a free agent and he made the roster last season with limited and mediocre results (15 carries, 23 yards). He had just three touches in the first five weeks of the year before he started playing a key role on Sunday.
He reminds us that there are some potential NFL stars out there just waiting to be discovered if they get the chance. Tucker probably needs White or Irving to be injured to be relevant in fantasy, but maybe there's something about this performance that the Buccaneers can't unsee.
When it comes to Spencer Rattler's Saints debut, we'd like to remove a significant portion of it. He threw a couple of picks, had a fumble, took five sacks. It didn't help that Chris Olave (concussion) lost in the first series of the match, although Rattler did not show any chemistry with WR Rashid Shaheed (1-11-0, 7 goals). As is often the case with backup quarterbacks, the featured receiver was a surprise player who wasn't viewed as a primary starter: Bub Means went 5-45-1 with eight targets.
Tom and a bit of touchdown deodorant saved Alvin Kamara's day: just 64 total yards, but he had five catches and scored once. Nine different players drew a target and none went beyond 54 yards; Apparently Rattler is in the works while Derek Carr is unavailable.
The Buccaneers will be making thrill rides to Baltimore and Atlanta over the next two weeks, so get your popcorn ready. The Saints may have trouble moving the ball the rest of this month against the Broncos and Chargers.
Other ups and downs in week 6
Cole Kmet's value is rising
Not only did Kmet score twice en route to A's 21.5 fantasy points in London's win over Jacksonville, but he saw the field a lot (57 snaps, 27 routes) while Gerald Everett (18 snaps, 9 routes) was a non-factor. It's hard to trust Bears OC Shane Waldron at times, but he seems to have accepted that Kmet deserves to be a full-time player while Everett is merely a supporting piece. Kmet has been a TE7 and TE8 the last two seasons and is on track to exceed that mark in 2024.
A mixed bag for the Jaguars
It's weird that the Jaguars won't target Brian Thomas Jr. off the bus – six looks just wasn't enough for their most dynamic player – but at least Evan Engram went down and caught all 10 of his looks for a 10-102-0 day. Engram did lose one loss, but he 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 the Patriots a much-needed boost
Say this as an insult to the Patriots, at least they opened the case with Maye. Sure, the offensive line is a mess and the skill set could be better, but Maye still dropped 37 times (against 26 team rushes) and threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in overtime against Houston. Two picks, four sacks – that's the life of a starting quarterback. However, DeMario Douglas (6-91-2) and Hunter Henry (3-41-1) have returned home in search of fantasy, and it's nice to at least have one more offense to think about as we navigate the bye week schedule. The Patriots will travel to London for a breakfast game in Jacksonville next week.
Zay deserves his Flowers
Baltimore has plenty of stars, so a game without a touchdown could get lost in the shuffle. But Zay Flowers looked like a slinky against Washington, a great 9-132-0 clinic in the first half, catching all his targets. Unfortunately, the Ravens played with a clock ball in the second half, and Flowers didn't see a goal for the final 30 minutes. But for all the time we spend trying to find Baltimore's tight end (hey, Mark Andrews scored!), don't lose sight of the rising superstar on the outside.
McLaurin and Daniels still have losses
The Commanders were unable to set up Terry McLaurin on deeper routes, but two short touchdowns bode well for fantasy. It's refreshing to see McLaurin finally playing with an above-average quarterback in the NFL. Jayden Daniels has had a few issues in Baltimore, but there's something that can have a not-so-phenomenal game and still give us over 20 fantasy points. Sledding will be much easier next week against Carolina.
Same old story regarding Watson, Browns
If you've seen one Deshaun Watson game, you've seen them all. In Philadelphia, he was held to 168 passing yards, had five sacks and was unable to lead the offense after a touchdown. Failure, of course, has many parents – there were fines and procedural penalties; I worry about Nick Chubb trying to run behind this shaky offensive line. But Watson still looks like a man who has been beaten physically and mentally every week, even as the Browns continue to stick to their principles. their quarterback for sunk money.
Note: I will provide additional analysis from Sunday's lineup later in the day.
