Fantasy football managers who drafted Baker Mayfield might not have to wait long before putting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback into their starting lineup.
Mayfield opens the 2026 season against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that underwent significant changes during the offseason. The Bengals strengthened their defensive front, but Tampa Bay can still attack behind it.
That starts at linebacker: Cincinnati will start second-year players Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter in the middle of its defense. The secondary features Dax Hill and DJ Turner II outside, Jalen Davis in the slot, and Jordan Battle and Bryan Cook at safety.
Turner is a player Tampa Bay can't simply overlook, and Battle led Cincinnati with four interceptions last season.
Still, Mayfield has enough options to make Cincinnati defend far more than one or two favorable matchups.
Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan sit atop the Bucs' receiver depth chart, while Cade Otton gives Mayfield another option over the middle. Bucky Irving is healthy again and adds another threat out of the backfield. McMillan has been dealing with a knee injury and was limited Wednesday, so his availability is worth monitoring heading into Sunday.
The bigger reason to trust Mayfield could be what's happening in front of him. Tampa Bay enters Week 1 with Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke listed as its starting offensive line. Injuries prevented that group from playing together last season, but all five are back in place entering the opener.
Mayfield himself pointed to that group this week when discussing his excitement about the offense. "It starts with the guys up front," Mayfield said. "I mean, the unit they have put together, it's one of the best in the league."
That protection will matter against a Bengals defensive front that added Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe during the offseason. Cincinnati's front seven looks very different than it did a year ago, so looking only at what the Bengals defense allowed in 2025 doesn't tell the whole story.
Another reason to like Mayfield's fantasy potential is that the game itself could demand points, as both teams could score a lot in this matchup. Cincinnati enters as a 3.5-point favorite, with the matchup carrying a 50.5-point over/under. Joe Burrow has Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the other side, making it possible Tampa Bay will have to keep throwing rather than lean exclusively on its running game.
FantasyPros currently ranks Mayfield as the QB14 for Week 1 and projects him for 17.9 fantasy points. That puts him around the QB1/QB2 border rather than among the automatic elite options at the position.
Mayfield has a healthy offensive line, plenty of skill-position talent, and a potential game script that could keep the ball in his hands. Cincinnati's rebuilt defensive front makes this matchup tougher, but there is enough to like behind it for Tampa Bay to find opportunities through the air.
Verdict: Start Mayfield. He's especially appealing in superflex leagues, but even managers in one-quarterback formats should feel comfortable turning to him if they don't have one of the elite fantasy options at the position.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Should you start Baker Mayfield in fantasy football vs. Bengals?
