Summer series: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By: Josh Frey-Sam

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a franchise legend this off-season, but there are still several reasons why we should be invested in this team, especially for fantasy.

I sat down with credentialed beat writer River Wells (@riverhwells on X) of Sports Illustrated to get the low-down on a few pressing fantasy-related questions ahead of a pivotal season for the Bucs.

Below are the key takeaways from a few questions I asked, but if you want to hear everything River said, listen to the audio above.

Does Ted Hurst actually have a chance to start this season?

Takeaway: Hurst has looked good this spring and could find a role in the red zone, but it’s unlikely — barring injury — that he sees the field enough to warrant any sort of fantasy relevance. This is a name to stash in your back pocket for 2027 (and dynasty), though, with Chris Godwin very possibly playing his final season in Tampa Bay.

How do you see the pecking order of the WR room shaking out, and is Chris Godwin a buy in 2026?

Takeaway: With Mike Evans gone, it wouldn’t shock anyone if Godwin stepped into the primary role in the passing attack. In fact, Godwin has received the majority of the targets from Baker Mayfield already this spring, operating from his usual spot in the slot. Having said that, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillian aren’t unknowns, so it’s likely that they eat into his target share significantly. River predicted that Egbuka will lead the Bucs in receptions this season.

Also worth noting that River believes Zac Robinson is going to prioritize the run game more than the Bucs did last season under Josh Grizzard. Despite all that, the fact is that Godwin is going in the 8th round of drafts on Sleeper right now, so he figures to be a huge value this season.

Entering a contract year, do you foresee this being Baker’s last season in Tampa Bay?

Takeaway: The Bucs and Mayfield appear to be on the same page and are trending toward getting a deal done, possibly before the season starts. Even if they don’t, Baker is committed to playing this year.

Do you have a gauge on how the RB usage will shake out between Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell?

Takeaway: Bucky Irving is trending toward a sell in dynasty. He’s proven that a 50-50/ 60-40 role probably suits him best and will keep him healthy, which speaks to the Bucs signing Gainwell this off-season. Gainwell and Irving are similar players, and both fit well in Robinson’s outside-zone run scheme, so this figures to be a relatively balanced time share between the two backs — at least in between the 20s.

River mentioned that Robinson has one of the highest run rates among all offensive co-ordinators inside the 10, which bodes well for both backs. Having said that, Gainwell showed last season that his run and pass-catching ability allows him to be a red zone monster, which could give him an advantage over Irving when the Bucs are in scoring range.

Bucky is going in the second round of drafts right now, while Gainwell is going in the ninth. With this information, Bucky is a clear-cut AVOID for me this season, while Gainwell is a smash pick later in the draft.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh