Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Fantasy Football 2016 Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Can Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers offense continue to grow in Year 2? If they do, which Buccaneers wide receivers should be on your fantasy football team?

Aug 26, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers like Mike Evans (13) make sense for your fantasy football team. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Buccaneers finished last season 6-10, but there is plenty of optimism in Tampa based on a solid first season for Jameis Winston and an improving offense under head coach Dirk Koetter. Koetter and Winston will look to continue their work of getting the Bucs back to the playoffs this year, and many experts like them as a sleeper team to watch this year. As Winston progresses, the Buccaneers wide receivers should be able to be solid contributors to your fantasy football team.

The Buccaneers wide receivers are pretty much the same unit as last season with just a few tweaks on the depth chart. Check out the next few slides to see who makes sense for your team and at what point in your draft you should look to add one of these Buccaneers wide receivers.

Throughout the preseason, we have been taking a tour through the NFL to look at the important fantasy options on each NFL team. While most team’s just have one quarterback and one tight end that are noteworthy for fantasy, every team has multiple running backs and wide receivers that you need to know heading into draft season.

Earlier this preseason, our wide receiver previews have examined the receivers of the Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bears, Steelers, Browns, Bengals, Ravens, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Cardinals, Seahawks, 49ers, Rams, Patriots, Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Cowboys, Washington, Eagles, Giants, Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans. Today, we start our last division as we head to the NFC South and take a look at the rising Buccaneers.

If you’re looking for fantasy football coverage including all our wide receiver and running back previews, check out the FanSided fantasy football hub where you can also find my top 10 potential breakout WR. You should also make sure to check out the 15 sleepers from Preseason Week 3. You can always see the latest fantasy football posts in the related content box to the right, and click here for my latest WR rankings.

Make sure to stay tuned to the FanSided fantasy football hub throughout the season to find plenty of fantasy coverage including sleepers, rankings, injury news, and overall strategy tips leading up to your draft. You can also follow @FansidedFantasy on Twitter where I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have, keep you up to date on all our latest coverage, and even help you through any draft-day dilemma that may come up.

In this post, we focus on the Buccaneers wide receivers who are ready to contribute once again this season. We’ll start with an overview of Tampa’s passing offense, and after that we’ll take a look at each option on the depth chart to see the fantasy potential and current ADP (average draft position) of each of the Buccaneers wide receivers.

Dec 6, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) congratulates quarterback Jameis Winston (3) against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-19. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers Wide Receivers-Overall Outlook

In his rookie season, Jameis Winston looked the part of the franchise QB the Bucs thought they were getting when they made him the #1 overall pick in 2015. Winston avoided any off-the-field trouble and threw for 4,042 yards and 22 touchdowns while adding six more scores on the ground. Winston had the team in playoff contention until late in the year, but ultimately Tampa finished 6-10.

The Buccaneers passing game wasn’t one of the best in the league, though. They finished 22nd in pass attempts, 22nd in passing touchdowns, and 16th in passing yards. While Mike Evans emerged as a great weapon, the rest of the receiving corps struggled. Charles Sims ended up with a ton of targets out of the backfield and managed to be the team’s second-leading pass-catcher.

The Bucs didn’t really add any options to the receiving corps this offseason which will leave plenty of room behind Evans for another one of the Buccaneers wide receivers to step up. Vincent Jackson will need to bounce back from his injury-shortened campaign last year, and Adam Humphries looks to have locked up the third receiver position.

Let’s take a look at each of those options from the Buccaneers wide receivers and evaluate the latest ADP info from fantasypros.com to see when and where you should look to add the Buccaneers wide receivers as good values in your draft.

Jun 14, 2016; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) and wide receiver Mike Evans (13) and wide receiver Louis Murphy (18) work out during mini camp at One Buccaneer Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Evans

Evans has posted back-to-back seasons with 1,000 yards in his two seasons since Tampa took him at #7 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Evans set career-highs in catches and yards, but he only ended up with three touchdowns after finding the end zone a dozen times in 2014.

Evans spent the offseason working closely with Winston, and he has looked sharp this preseason. He had five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in Preseason Week 3. He admitted to losing focus last season and was plagued by mental mistakes, but he has shown no signs of those issues this preseason.

With the lack of other Buccaneers wide receivers that make good options, Evans would get tons of targets and plenty of opportunities. His touchdown rate should normalize somewhere between the two extremes of his first two seasons.

Right now, Evans is being drafted as the tenth WR off the board which lands him in the start of the third round. He definitely has top-tier potential and can be a solid WR1 for your team. If you miss out on the elite names, Evans can be a nice pickup if you add an elite play at a different position in rounds one and two.

Aug 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) during pre game warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Buccaneers, 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Vincent Jackson

Jackson was a huge letdown last year only playing ten games and finishing with 543 yards and three touchdowns. He only had over 75 yards three times all season. He had one huge game in Week 4 coming up with ten catches for 147 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers, but he wasn’t a great fantasy start any other week.

V-Jax is back this preseason and looks healthy and ready to return to form. He was targeted nine times in the Bucs Preseason Week 3 dress rehearsal hauling in four passes for 78 yards. Jackson had been consistent before last season with at least 1,000 yards in six of his previous seven seasons (with another injury-shortened campaign being the exception).

Jackson is a veteran option who isn’t viewed as having as much “sizzle” as many other receivers going around him in the draft. However, he’s dropped all the way to a WR5 coming off the board at the very end of the 13th round. If you take some chances early with your receivers, Jackson is a safe option who should get plenty of playing time and targets for as long as he stays healthy. Don’t overdraft him, but look to him late if you need an established talent with upside in an improving offense.

Aug 26, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Adam Humphries (11) runs the ball back for a touchdown during a punt return against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Humphries

Humphries joined the Bucs as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson last season and served as the team’s slot option after injuries opened the door for him. He ended ups with 27 catches in his 13 games and totaled 260 yards and a touchdown.

He beat out a bunch of competition to be the team’s third WR coming into the season, but he probably won’t get a ton of targets with Jackson, Evans, running back Sims, and probably tight end Austin Sefarian-Jenkins all ahead of him in the pecking order.

He was targeted five times in the team’s Preseason Week 3 contest catching a pair of passes for 39 yards. He also returned a punt for a touchdown in that game showing he can be a playmaker when given the chance.

If the Buccaneers offense really starts rolling or Vincent Jackson struggles with injuries again, Humphries has the potential to emerge as a fantasy option later this season. He isn’t someone to use a draft pick on at this point, but keep an eye on his usage as the season starts.

Aug 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Shepard (89) runs for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Other Buccaneers wide receivers

Russell Shepard: Shepard had a good offseason and will enter his fourth season with the Bucs with a chance to earn some playing time. He is a special teams option and opened the preseason with a three-catch, 62-yard performance which included a touchdown. Shepard hasn’t had a catch since that game, though, and will open the season without a clear role with the team’s first unit.

Louis Murphy: After returning from a ACL tear, Murphy is on the team’s PUP list to start the season. He can not return until Week 7 at the earliest and can safely be left on waiver wires until he has a defined role on the team after his return.

Evan Spencer: Spencer has battled some knee issues this training camp but he has emerged as a solid contender for the teams final roster spot at receiver. He caught all three passes thrown his way in Preseason Week 4 totaling 27 yards against Washington. A second-year receiver out of Ohio State, Spencer probably will make the Buccaneers roster, but he doesn’t have a spot on your fantasy team.