TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a tough test this week with the first-place AFC West Oakland Raiders coming to town. And while the Raiders' offense should provide a real challenge for the Bucs, from a fantasy standpoint, the Bucs have some real opportunities:
Winston threw three touchdowns in a 34-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers last week, putting up 20 points, tied with Andy Dalton for sixth-most in the league among quarterbacks and tied for 14th in the league among all players. The Raiders have given up 128 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, which is fifth most in the league.
If you have Evans on your roster, congratulations. He's scored six touchdowns in six games, already doubling his end zone production from one year ago. He's also coming off a 21-point, two-touchdown performance against the Niners. His 29 points in PPR last week tied for fourth-best of all players in the league. His 87 points so far this season are fourth-most in the league this year among receivers. The Raiders have also given up the fifth-most fantasy points all season to opposing receivers with 170 points.
Rodgers may not have a touchdown yet this season, but after rushing for 255 yards in two games, it's bound to come sometime. The Raiders have given up the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs in the league this year and have allowed three 100-yard rushers. It's also worth noting that the Bucs ran the ball 41 times against the Niners and 37 times against the Panthers, with much success. There's no reason why they won't keep that going, although they're throwing Antone Smith and Peyton Barber in there to give Rodgers a little bit of a rest, with Barber getting short-yardage opportunities.
Brate caught three passes for 29 yards against the Niners and had a rather quiet week. He had two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, putting up 16 points, which was second among tight ends in the league. He's tied with Travis Kelce for ninth in the league among tight ends and 10th in PPR. The Raiders, however, have given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season with 63 points. The Atlanta Falcons, whom the Bucs face in two weeks, have given up 75 points to tight ends this year, fourth-most in the league.
Sleeper watch: Russell Shepard
Shepard didn't get the start last week -- it was Cecil Shorts III who stepped in for the injured Vincent Jackson -- but Shepard caught five of six passes for 77 receiving yards and a touchdown, producing 13 fantasy points. Evans is, by far, your best option among the Bucs receivers, but Shep may continue to get more opportunities.
Looking ahead...
Looking ahead to the Falcons -- they have given up 246 total fantasy points against receivers and 149 when defending teams in three receiver sets. They've particularly struggled with passes underneath, which is Adam Humphries' forte and something he could contribute to in the absence of Charles Sims. They've given up 15 receiving touchdowns, tied for third-most in the league.