Week 3 start/sit: Buccaneers vs Vikings

Tampa Bay is 0-2 for the first time in 12 years, and the schedule does not get friendlier this week. The Buccaneers host the 2-0 Minnesota Vikings at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 27, kickoff 4:05 p.m. Eastern Time (10:05 p.m. CEST), on FOX. Caesars has Minnesota favored by 1.5 with a total of 42.5, one of the lowest numbers on the Week 3 board, and Sharp Football Analysis puts the implied score at roughly 22 to 20.5.

Key facts

• The Buccaneers are 0-2 after a 23-19 home loss to the Cleveland Browns on September 20, 2026, a game with a 132-minute lightning delay.
• The Minnesota Vikings are 2-0 after beating Green Bay 39-22 in Week 1 and Chicago 9-3 in Week 2.
• Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray cleared the concussion protocol and will start at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 27.
• Vikings running back Aaron Jones (knee) did not practice on Wednesday, September 23, after 23 carries for 105 yards against Chicago.
• Caesars lists Minnesota as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 42.5 for the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff.

Injury designations are as of Wednesday, September 23. Official game statuses arrive Friday, so recheck before you lock a lineup. The stadium is open-air, and Week 2 ended with a 132-minute lightning delay, so glance at the Sunday forecast too.

The matchup

Minnesota has beaten Green Bay 39-22 and Chicago 9-3, which works out to 12.5 points allowed per game. Its defense blitzes more than any other team in the league, according to both Sharp Football Analysis and 4for4, and defensive end Dallas Turner has 3 sacks through two games. That is a bad setup for a Tampa Bay offense that has been steady in the box score but not explosive: Baker Mayfield threw for 216 yards in the Week 1 loss to Cincinnati and 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Cleveland.

The other side of the ball is shakier for Tampa Bay. Outside linebackers Rueben Bain Jr. (groin) and Anthony Nelson (shin) and linebacker Josiah Trotter (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday, so the pass rush and the tackling leader are all in question. Minnesota, meanwhile, gets quarterback Kyler Murray back after the concussion he suffered on his 11th snap of the opener.

Buccaneers start/sit/flex

Baker Mayfield, QB, start (QB2 range). Mayfield cleared the illness that limited him in the injury report, practicing fully Wednesday, and he brings a rushing floor: he scrambled for an 8-yard touchdown in Week 1. But a blitz-heavy defense is the matchup that takes away deep throws, and Sharp Football Analysis ranks him as a QB2 this week. Start him in one-quarterback leagues only if your alternative is worse.

Bucky Irving, RB, start. Irving is the one Buccaneer every source we read agrees on. He carried 17 times for 89 yards against Cleveland, including a 38-yard run, and Kenny Gainwell had 2 carries. ESPN's Week 3 guide lists him as a lineup lock, and 4for4 calls him Tampa Bay's only exciting option. Blitzes also feed the checkdown game, and Irving caught 7 passes in Week 1.

Kenny Gainwell, RB, sit. Two carries a game is not a role. Gainwell only matters if Irving misses time.

Chris Godwin Jr., WR, flex. The advice is split, and we are in the middle. Godwin has 86 receiving yards on 7 targets through two games, and he does his best work after the catch (a 24-yard gain against Cleveland). 4for4 says sit him against the blitz; DraftKings Network suggests Mayfield may trust him more than Egbuka. Play him in PPR, and bench him if you have two better options.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, start (WR3/flex). Egbuka has 11 targets through two games (6 in Week 1, 5 in Week 2), tied for the team lead, and he scored on a 5-yard touchdown against Cleveland. He is not on the Wednesday injury report, which settles the toe concern from Week 1. Against an elite pass rush, quick throws are the way through, and he is part of a target group that spreads the ball around. Do not expect a big ceiling.

Jalen McMillan, WR, sit. McMillan returned from his knee injury in Week 2 and played 7 snaps without a target. He practiced fully Wednesday, so his role should grow, but a fantasy lineup is not the place to wait for it.

Ted Hurst III, WR, sit (deep-league flex only). The rookie has 10 targets in two games (3 in Week 1, 7 in Week 2). The volume is real and the production is thin, and McMillan's return threatens both.

Cade Otton, TE, flex (streaming option only). Otton caught 5 of 6 targets for 38 yards in Week 2. Against a defense that blitzes this much, short passes to the tight end are a fair floor play, but not more than that.

Chase McLaughlin, K, start. McLaughlin went 4 for 4 on field goals against Cleveland, including a 59-yarder that tied the third-longest in franchise history. A low-scoring game with drives that stall against a defense that allowed only 3 points in Chicago is a fine kicker environment.

Buccaneers D/ST, sit. Tampa Bay held Cleveland to 44 rushing yards, but it also gave up 24 completions on 30 attempts to Deshaun Watson, and Bain, Nelson and Trotter are all in question. Minnesota's offense is run-heavy and low-volume, which caps sacks and turnovers. Leave the defense on the bench.

Vikings players to start against the Bucs

Justin Jefferson, WR, start. He caught 3 passes for 55 yards against Chicago, a quiet game by his standards, and he scored in the opener. Tampa Bay let Watson complete 24 of 30 passes last week, and ESPN lists Jefferson as a lineup lock.

Aaron Jones Sr., RB, start if active. Jones carried 23 times for 105 yards against Chicago and hurt his knee in the process. He did not practice Wednesday, and coach Kevin O'Connell called him uncertain. Tampa Bay's run defense is the toughest part of its roster (Cleveland managed 1.9 yards per carry), so even a healthy Jones is not a smash spot. Check Friday's report.

Kyler Murray, QB, streaming option only. Murray returns after playing 11 snaps in Week 1. Carson Wentz attempted only 20 passes in Chicago, and Sharp Football Analysis rates him as a QB2 this week. Tampa Bay's pass rush is thinner than it was last week, but the volume is not there.

Jauan Jennings, WR, flex. Jennings missed Week 2 for a family matter and is back with the team. A return week against a defense that gave up big completion numbers is worth a flex look in PPR, though the passing volume caps it.

Waiver and streaming notes

If you roster Jones, DeeJay Dallas (toe, limited Wednesday) is the name to know: he had 2 carries for 8 yards in Week 2, and Jordan Mason is on injured reserve with a fractured thumb. On the Tampa Bay side, Hurst and Otton are the only names that have shown consistent volume, and neither is a must-add in a standard league.

Tampa Bay's offense is not broken so much as thin: one back who touches the ball, two receivers who are worth trusting, and a lot of empty targets. Week 3 is a good time to lean on the running game and keep the expectations in the passing game modest.