Buccaneers vs. Saints Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas

Welcome to our Buccaneers vs. Saints fantasy football start 'em, sit' em matchups analysis article for Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season.

Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

Spread: Saints -3.0
Implied Total: Buccaneers (18.5) vs. Saints (21.5)
Pace: Buccaneers (27th) vs. Saints (8th)
Buccaneers Off. DVOA: 10.0% Pass (18th), -28.1% Rush (28th)
Saints Off. DVOA: 5.5% Pass (19th), -9.5% Rush (20th)
Buccaneers Def. DVOA: -6.2% Pass (9th), 0.1% Rush (23rd)
Saints Def. DVOA: -17.0% Pass (5th), -15.2% Rush (11th)

Matchups We Love

None

Matchups We Hate

Rachaad White (RB, TB)

We pretty much know the deal with White at this point. He'll see about 15 carries with three to five targets every week. As for the production that follows, it's entirely matchup-dependent. The Eagles are tough to run on, limiting White to 2.7 yards per carry. The same issue will exist in New Orleans against another top-10 unit. He's still a flex play because of his guaranteed touches, particularly as a receiver, but he's a floor play.

Cade Otton (TE, TB)

Otton remains behind both receivers and White in the pecking order, which makes it difficult for him to stay relevant. The Saints are also strong against tight ends dating back to last season. He's on the bench.

Alvin Kamara (RB, NO)

What we know is that without Jamaal Williams, Kamara has a clear path to his usual allotment of touches. The question is how will he look in his first game of the year, and what kind of shape is he in. It often takes a week or two to knock off the rust. The Buccaneers were shutting down opposing rushers until they faced the Eagles, which also gives me pause about Kamara. Kendre Miller, Tony Jones Jr., and Taysom Hill may take a few carries as well. Overall, he's a top-24 back with a lot of volatility.

"The Saints have put RB Jamaal Williams on IR."

Alvin Kamara returning to the Saints backfield in Week 4:pic.twitter.com/P7GMjiAYGo

— Moody (@EricNMoody) September 23, 2023

Other Matchups

Buccaneers WRs

We knew if Baker Mayfield and Co. were going to flop, it would be against Philly. Unsurprisingly, the offense did almost nothing until a drive late in the game, which accounted for 75 of their 174 yards of offense and their only touchdown. It meant a poor outing for Chris Godwin yet again, who has finished outside the top 40 every week. We know the talent is there, but without an excess of volume, he's going to disappoint.

Mike Evans, on the other hand, salvaged his day on that drive with multiple catches, the final of which occurred in the end zone. He's earned eight-plus targets in every contest. He's slated to line up across from a familiar foe in Marshon Lattimore, which hasn't been a great experience historically. That said, he's been too good to drop beyond the top 24.

Saints WRs

New Orleans was crushing Green Bay until Derek Carr left with a shoulder injury. It took the wind out of their sails, resulting in a painful loss and zero points scored with Jameis Winston under center. Winston is known for being a gunslinger with a propensity for turnovers, although he fought off some of those tendencies as their starter two years ago.

His presence negatively impacts Michael Thomas the most because the majority of his work is done at a shorter depth of target compared to Chris Olave, and definitely Rashid Shaheed. Olave is obviously a must-start. He's also due for a trip to the end zone after racking up 302 scoreless yards on 22 receptions. After him, it gets risky with Winston taking over. Thomas and Shaheed both enter the flex category with Shaheed possessing a higher ceiling.

UPDATE: Carr returned to practice on Friday and is listed as questionable. It would be very surprising to see him out there, but it's theoretically possible.

Latest on Derek Carr. He wants to play this week but it’s going to likely be a Sunday decision, per source. It’s still 50-50 at this point.

My take: Down an offensive lineman already. Have to be smart if he’s banged up. A lot to consider.

— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) September 30, 2023

Notable Injuries

Chase Edmonds (knee)
Derek Carr (shoulder)
Jamaal Williams (hamstring)

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