The Buccaneers are still looking for their first win, but there have been individual defensive performances worth watching in IDP leagues. Tampa Bay heads to Dallas on a short week with Antoine Winfield Jr. sidelined for a few weeks, and Rueben Bain Jr. expected to return. That creates some moving pieces on defense, but three players stand out as potential IDP options against the Cowboys.
LB Josiah Trotter
Trotter is the easiest Buccaneers defender to trust in IDP right now. The rookie leads Tampa Bay with 33 total tackles through four games, including 17 solo tackles, and he already has a sack and an interception. That interception became a 38-yard pick-six in his NFL debut against Cincinnati, offering an early glimpse of the impact the rookie can have on any
given game day.
Trotter has played 156 defensive snaps, with 147 coming in the box. PFF has also credited him with 17 tackles and 19 assists, while he's been targeted 11 times in coverage and allowed nine receptions.
The coverage numbers aren't necessarily impressive from a real-football perspective, but they're not all bad news for IDP. Being targeted around the middle of the field creates tackle opportunities, and Trotter is consistently around the football. Not to mention, he led Tampa Bay with nine tackles against Green Bay last week.
He's my favorite Buccaneers IDP play against Dallas and the safest of these three options.
Verdict: Start Trotter in most formats.
EDGE David Walker
Walker is almost the opposite of Trotter. There isn't much of a floor here, but there's legitimate sack upside whenever Todd Bowles puts him on the field.
Walker officially leads the Buccaneers with two sacks despite playing just 52 defensive snaps, according to PFF. He's generated six pressures on those snaps. For comparison, Yaya Diaby has seven pressures despite playing 153 defensive snaps.
The Buccaneers have talked about finding more opportunities for Walker, but until his snap count actually increases, it's difficult to trust him as a weekly IDP starter. He has only 8 total tackles, so you're largely betting on him reaching the quarterback rather than racking up points on tackles.
Bain's return adds another variable to an already crowded edge rotation. PFF has Bain at 76 defensive snaps with two pressures so far, and his return could make those available snaps even harder to predict.
Still, Walker has been Tampa Bay's most productive edge rusher at finishing sacks. If your league heavily rewards sacks or big defensive plays, he's the Buccaneers edge defender I'd gamble on.
Verdict: Start Walker in sack-heavy formats. He's a risky play in tackle-heavy leagues.
DB Tykee Smith
Smith has quietly developed a pretty solid IDP floor. He has recorded at least four tackles in every game this season, going from four to five to six against Green Bay. He's up to 20 total tackles, 14 solo, and forced a fumble near the goal line against the Packers that Zyon McCollum recovered.
According to PFF, he's played 96 snaps in the box, 81 at free safety, 39 in the slot, 15 aligned on the outside of the defensive line, and four at corner. He's generated only one pressure, so Tampa Bay hasn't been using those line alignments primarily to turn him into a pass rusher.
Winfield's absence does create some uncertainty in the Buccaneers' secondary. Ifeatu Melifonwu is listed behind Winfield on Tampa Bay's depth chart and is in line for a larger defensive role, but he has barely played on defense this season. Tampa Bay could keep Smith primarily around the box, play him deeper more frequently, or split the responsibilities between the two safeties.
For IDP purposes, I'd rather see Smith continue spending significant time in the box. That's where his ability to come downhill gives him a chance to maintain the tackle production we've seen through four games.
Even with some uncertainty surrounding exactly how Tampa Bay replaces Winfield, Smith has established a consistent enough tackle floor to remain my Buccaneers defensive back of choice against Dallas.
Verdict: Start Smith, particularly in leagues that reward solo tackles.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 3 Buccaneers IDP plays for Week 5 against the Cowboys
