Tampa Bay @ Minnesota
Team Totals: Vikings 25.5, Bucs 19.5
The Bucs settled on Baker Mayfield as their Week 1 quarterback over Kyle Trask; ultimately I expect both to make 2023 starts. The good news for Mayfield is Minnesota’s pass defense is a mess with 2022 first- and second-round picks S Lewis Cine and CB Andrew Booth each failing to earn first-team roles. The bad news is Mayfield has stunk for four years straight. Worsening matters, Bucs star C Ryan Jensen (knee) will miss his second consecutive season. The Vikings’ D/ST is a sneaky streamer. … Underwhelming as a 2022 third-round pick, Rachaad White failed to finish top 30 among qualified running backs in yards per touch (4.3) and fantasy points per opportunity (0.74), even as then-backfield leader Leonard Fournette fell off a cliff. I’m anticipating a wide-ranging committee from this year’s Bucs also involving journeyman Chase Edmonds, 2020 third-round pick Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and UDFA rookie sleeper Sean Tucker.
Coming off 2021’s multi-ligament knee tear, Chris Godwin stunk from Weeks 1-9 last season but excelled in Weeks 10-18, during that span compiling a 132-catch, 1,315-yard, six-TD 17-game pace. Godwin also dropped 10/85/0 receiving on Dallas in Tampa’s playoff loss. I can’t call him trustworthy with Mayfield under center, but I expect Godwin to lead the Bucs in Week 1 targets. And Minnesota’s secondary stinks. … Facing a vulnerable Vikings pass defense indoors, Mike Evans is a boom-bust WR3/flex play worthy of contrarian DFS-tournament interest. … Sixth-round rookie Trey Palmer won Tampa Bay’s No. 3 wideout competition following Russell Gage’s patellar tendon tear. I expect the biggest beneficiary to be second-year TE Cade Otton, who caught 42 passes as a rookie and projects as a near-every-snap player in 2023.
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