The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, and tight end O.J. Howard has been formally ruled out for the game. Howard missed last week with a hamstring injury that saw him downgraded from Wednesday limited to Thursday DNP. He did not practice at all this week.

Cameron Brate will get a second straight start in place of Howard, assuming Brate gets healthy in his own right. Brate suffered a rib injury last week. He was a DNP on Wednesday and limited on Thursday. He had three receptions for 32 yards against the Titans.

Fantasy football analysis: Bucs TE Cameron Brate

The Seahawks have given up the fourth most points to tight ends this season, so this matchup offers some potential value. Brate was not overly impressive last week against a Titans defense that is middle of the road against tight ends. The rib injury is concerning and likely means we need to downgrade Brate. The tight end position is brutal for depth, so he’s still worth a start if he is active, but keep expectations low.