RADIO
While owners of Vincent Jackson patiently wait for an update on his knee – which he hurt Sunday in Washington – they’ll begin looking elsewhere for help, should the news be bad. In addition to Jackson being injured, Louis Murphy also left the game with a knee injury. While the coaching staff of the Buccaneers may be panicking about their lack of wide receiver options, fantasy owners be able to find value from relative unknowns.
One player who benefits that fantasy owners have heard of is Mike Evans. Evans, who seemed to be battling an illness early in the game, erupted with eight catches for 164 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Evans will likely be doubled-teamed as long as Jackson remains out, but that doesn’t mean the Bucs won’t continue to feed him the ball with no other serious options. Evans will have a chance to shine in the upcoming weeks, as three of their next four games come against teams from the depleted NFC East following a meeting with the Falcons next week.
Donteea Dye immediately made the most of his playing time due to the Jackson injury, securing his first career catch and touchdown on a seven-yard pass from Jameis Winston. It was only the second career game for the rookie out of little-known Division III Heidelberg University in Ohio, but this opening could be all Dye needs to get going in the NFL. He is worth keeping an eye on for those in deep leagues.
Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker could get more targets as the team looks to involve veterans in the passing game. Stocker finished Sunday with only three catches for 11 yards, but could become a safety valve for Winston, as he looks to find chemistry with the other receivers on his rosters, should the injuries to two of his top targets cause that duo to miss any significant time.
Speaking of safety valves, running backs Doug Martin and Charles Sims should see their targets rise for the same reason as Stocker’s. Martin and Sims combined for five catches on Sunday.
