When the Bills open up Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season at home vs. Tampa Bay on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video) they will hope to get their offense back around Josh Allen.
Although Buffalo's quarterback is still putting up his typical fine fantasy football numbers, the reality play has been sloppy the past two weeks -- a narrow escape vs. the Giants and a bad upset loss to the Patriots. That's kept the Bills from unlocking all their weapons for good production. The good news is he practiced in full all week despite his right shoulder injury, so that won't be an issue.
Baker Mayfield, his QB counterpart, is dealing with a minor knee injury. He's struggled in the past two games after a bye. The Bucs will be down left guard Matt Feiler (knee), but wide receiver Chris Godwin (neck) will be there to help Mayfield in a tough matchup for the passing game.
Here's looking at what to expect fantasy-wise as a whole from the latest edition of TNF:
MORE THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Props | ATS pick | Godwin update
Buccaneers: Who to start, sit in fantasy football on TNF
Sit: QB Baker Mayfield
Mayfield has dropped from borderline top-12 QB early to the QB19 in fantasy football, maybe a little higher than expected but still not startable beyond superflex or two-QB formats. The Bills are stingy in giving up production to the position, as only the Ravens are a tougher QB matchup. Mayfield is 4-0 on TNF, but his luck runs out here on the road.
WEEK 8 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Start: RB Rachaad White
White has lacked explosiveness, and the Bucs' offensive line has led to an anemic 3.2 yards per carry. Somehow, he's hanging in there as an RB2/flex as the RB25 on the season in half-point PPR. He needs to get involved as an outlet receiver to deliver.
The Bills have allowed 100-yard games to speedier young backs Breece Hall, De'Von Achane, and Travis Etienne, but since linebacker Matt Milano (leg) went down, they've been vulnerable to backs racking up receiving numbers. White also should be helped by a good volume of checkdowns in a negative game script.
Start: WR Mike Evans
The future Hall-of-Famer keeps putting up pleasing stats as WR14 on the season in half-point PPR. He's averaging five catches for 78 yards in six games and has scored four times. He gets a nice break here with no Tre'Davious White (Achilles) in coverage on the outside. He'll be helped by the Bucs likely trailing and Mayfield trusting him most as the No. 1.
WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Sit: WR Chris Godwin
Godwin will probably see a good dose of the Bills top nickel corner, Taron Johnson, who has been dominating wherever needed in coverage without White. There have been mixed results for slots vs. Buffalo, but Godwin, at WR42 on the season in half-point PPR, doesn't need to be forced in there.
Sit: TE Cade Otton
The young athlete from Washington should be a thing, but he isn't involved enough in the offense. He's TE25 on the season and can't be trusted even with no Milano.
WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Start: K Chase McLaughlin
What a fine pursuit he isn't. As they said on "The McLaughlin Group" -- wrong!
Sit: Buccaneers D/ST
We're not "Bowled" over by what they can do vs. a dangerous, Allen-led offense.
WEEK 8 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Bills: Who to start, sit in fantasy football on TNF
Start: QB Josh Allen
Allen is literally starting to succumb to the pressure of carrying the Bills offense in more ways than one. He has the biggest burden to move the ball, and he's also facing plenty of pass-rush heat because of it. Through all that and his bum shoulder, Allen just keeps compiling stats with his relentless, sometimes reckless play. When he's looking ugly, he can still put up QB1 numbers.
Start: RB James Cook
The Buccaneers' mighty run stuffer, Vita Vea (groin), will be a game-time decision. His absence would certainly help Buffalo's traditional running game, but Cook can get it done here with key volume. Tampa Bay has given up good receiving days to running backs, and Cook also is a threat to score more in recent weeks. He's a solid RB2 every week.
Start: WR Stefon Diggs
Diggs is nestled right between Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown as the WR2 overall on the season. He gets his numbers no matter what. He's finished out of the top 25 only once in the first seven games. He's awesome. He's reliable. He's gonna come through again.
Start: WR Gabe Davis
The Buccaneers tend to give up a lot of shot plays and big gains to wide receivers. That's ideal for Davis to get back on track as two clunker games stopped his incredible hot streak of consistent targets and scoring. Davis has dropped back down to his WR status of 2022, but this will shoot him back up with a 6-80-1 line.
Start: TE Dalton Kincaid
The Bills desperately need a key third receiver to emerge. Khalil Shakir and others aren't the answer. Kincaid might be after he led the team in receiving against the Patriots. The rookie first-rounder is set up for a much bigger role with Dawson Knox (wrist) down. Don't expect a blowup, as the Bucs have contained tight ends with their safeties and linebackers, but five catches for 50 yards is doable.
Start: K Tyler Bass
He's Bass-o-matic, but he's surprisingly only K12 on the season. Still, when he kicks for Buffalo, he kicks for you.
Start: Bills D/ST
They might be more week-to-week than regular start with their injuries, but giddyap against a turnover-prone Mayfield behind a banged-up line.
Buccaneers vs. Bills: DraftKings Showdown lineup
- Captain (1.5X): Bills WR Gabe Davis $10,200
- FLEX: Bills QB Josh Allen $11,800
- FLEX: Bills RB James Cook $8,600
- FLEX: Buccaneers RB Rachaad White $6,200
- FLEX: Bills K Tyler Bass $5,400
- FLEX: Bills TE Dalton Kincaid $5,000
White is the most desirable non-Evans Bucs asset. We're then loading up on the Bills to pass downfield to score often, followed by running to win and shutting the door with defense, too.
Buccaneers vs. Bills: FanDuel single-game lineup
- MVP (1.5X): Bills QB Josh Allen $17,500
- AnyFLEX: Buccaneers RB Rachaad White $12,000
- AnyFLEX: Bills WR Gabe Davis $11,000
- AnyFLEX: Bills K Tyler Bass $9,500
- AnyFLEX: Bills TE Dalton Kincaid $7,500
Here we go with the same construction, but we're able to afford Allen in the main seat. Cook gets dropped from the correlation, but White stays in there while we trust more in Bass.
