The Buccaneers have yet to score more than 20 points in a game this season, and now Jalon Daniels will make his second NFL start on a short week against the Dallas Cowboys.
Daniels had some good moments in his first start, completing 19 of 27 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 yards on the ground. He also threw two interceptions and had trouble adjusting protections when Green Bay sent pressure. Those are understandable problems for an undrafted rookie making his first NFL start, but they also make Tampa Bay's passing game difficult to trust in fantasy football.
Dallas at least gives Daniels and his receivers a favorable matchup. The Cowboys have allowed the third-most total yards and fourth-most points in the NFL through four games
while producing only four sacks and zero interceptions.
Here is what Tampa Bay's primary pass catchers have done through four games:
Emeka Egbuka: Start as a WR2/WR3
If I'm starting one Buccaneers receiver against Dallas, it's Egbuka. The former first-round pick leads Tampa Bay with 24 targets through four games, turning them into 15 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. He had only two catches for 13 yards on four targets in Daniels' first start, but Tampa Bay has to find a way to get its best receiver more involved.
That's also part of my frustration with this offense. There hasn't been enough consistency in Zac Robinson's play-calling or how Tampa Bay attacks defenses. Too often it feels like the offense goes from runs to deep shots to screens without establishing anything it can consistently lean on.
Against a Dallas defense that has struggled this badly, there shouldn't be an excuse for completely disappearing through the air. Egbuka is the best receiving option on this team and should be treated that way. I'm starting him as a WR2 or WR3 in Week 5.
Chris Godwin: Boom-or-bust Flex
Godwin is much harder to predict, although his production isn't far behind Egbuka's. He has 16 catches for 142 yards through four games and became Daniels' favorite receiver against Green Bay, catching six of seven targets for 31 yards.
Godwin can still create after the catch, which gives him an avenue to production even if Tampa Bay keeps the passing game relatively safe for its rookie quarterback. The problem is that 16 receptions have produced 142 yards and no touchdowns.
There are enough opportunities to consider Godwin as a Flex, particularly in PPR formats, but I'm not treating him as a safe play. With Daniels making his second start and Tampa Bay still searching for an offensive identity, Godwin is a boom-or-bust option even against a bad Dallas defense.
Ted Hurst III: Risky Flex
Hurst has been the big-play option of this group, averaging 16 yards per reception with 128 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.
The problem is those eight catches have come on 16 targets. Hurst did make an important 21-yard catch on third down against Green Bay, and we've already seen his ability to stretch the field with a 40-yard touchdown against Minnesota.
There is upside here against Dallas, but Hurst isn't producing consistently enough for me to trust him in a normal starting lineup. He's a deeper-league Flex with touchdown upside, but you're taking a significant risk if you need him to produce without scoring.
Cade Otton: Desperation TE
Cade Otton gets targets. Cade Otton gets open. Cade Otton wears gloves. Consistently catching the football has been the main issue for the Bucs' starting tight end, and that's not a problem you want in fantasy football.
Otton is actually second on the Buccaneers with 23 targets and leads the team in receiving yards with 157. Daniels targeted him six times against Green Bay, resulting in four catches for 37 yards. There was also an opportunity early in the game when Otton got open up the seam, and Daniels put the ball on him, only for it to bounce off his hands.
That makes Otton difficult to trust despite the volume. He didn't score a touchdown until the final game of the 2025 season, and he hasn't scored through four games this year.
At a position as thin as tight end, you can use Otton if you're desperate. The targets are there and Dallas provides a favorable matchup, but I'm not counting on those opportunities turning into a meaningful fantasy performance unless he finally finds the end zone.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Should you start Bucs WR/TE this week in fantasy football?
