The Buccaneers and 49ers meet this Sunday in the game with the highest over/under on Sunday’s main slate at 50.5. The points are expected to be flowing in Tampa, but the Bucs are still short of pass-catching options. With Chris Godwin (ankle) done for the year and Mike Evans (hamstring) on IR, Cade Otton ($5,500) has stepped up and become Baker Mayfield’s ($6,400) go-to option. If Jalen McMillan ($4,200; hamstring) also sits a second straight game this week, what can we expect from Otton and the rest of the Bucs’ pass catchers? Let’s take a look:
Cade Otton’s potential value
On Monday before he played in Week 9, I ranked Otton as my No. 4 TE this week. He only enhanced and solidified his spot as a top-five play with another strong showing on Monday. Against the Chiefs, he caught five of his 11 targets for 77 yards and this touchdown.
Baker hits Cade Otton to cap off an impressive drive to start the second half 👀
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) November 5, 2024
After his third straight big week, he is up to the TE5 on the season and has a massive 31 targets over the Bucs’ last three games. I’d slide him up to No. 2 in my rankings this week behind only George Kittle ($5,800) if McMillan is out once again.
He feels like a bargain play at $5,500 in DFS contests, even in a less-than-ideal matchup and as the fourth-highest tight end on the board this week in the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]. If McMillan returns, he could have slightly fewer targets, but his volume makes him a safe play with a high ceiling for both DFS and season-long leagues, where he should be universally owned and almost universally started.
The Impact on other Bucs’ WRs
If you’re looking for a bargain WR for this week, the Bucs have a few options who make sense as sleeper options that could step up if McMillan is out.
Sterling Shepard ($4,100) finished second in receptions, receiving yards and targets on Monday night, hauling in 4-of-5 targets for 48 yards and adding 21 yards on two carries. He was questionable before that game with a hamstring injury, but unlike McMillan was able to play through the injury. If the 49ers scheme to take Otton away, he could have space to work and step in as the No. 1 WR.
Trey Palmer ($4,000) caught just two passes for 33 yards and has been held to under 6.0 fantasy points in all but one of his seven games this season. He has totaled just nine catches for 123 yards but does have a touchdown.
After making his season debut in Week 8, Rakim Jarrett ($4,000) played 84% of the team’s snaps against the Chiefs, more than any other wide receiver. The bad news, though, is that he only had one target, which he caught for nine yards.
The Bottom Line
In what is expected to be a high-scoring game, Otton is a great option if McMillan is out and Shepard is an interesting flier play if you’re desperate in season-long leagues or need a bargain basement play in DFS. Jarrett and Palmer do have potential since work will be available, but both are high-risk since we haven’t seen them deliver yet.
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