Week 5 Buccaneers waiver wire: who to add

Tampa Bay beat Dallas 24-16 on Thursday night for its first win of 2026, and the box score tells a clear story: the Bucs ran 39 times for 241 yards and Jalon Daniels threw only 25 passes, according to FantasyData. Bucky Irving did the heavy lifting with 165 yards and two touchdowns, and the passing game was thin and short.

Key facts

• Tampa Bay beat Dallas 24-16 on Thursday, October 8, its first win of 2026 after four straight losses.
• Bucky Irving ran 21 times for 165 yards and scored twice, but played only about 54% of the offensive snaps.
• Emeka Egbuka saw nine targets, the most on the team, while Cade Otton played roughly 92% to 94% of the snaps.
• Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in his second start.
• Tampa Bay hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (7:00 p.m. CEST), and Baker Mayfield's availability is still open.

That is a good result for the standings and a poor one for waiver claims. Almost every Buccaneer who mattered on Thursday is either a starter you already own or a player whose role did not grow. Rostership percentages for 2026 were hard to find in the sources we could read, so check your own league's free-agent pool before spending a claim.

The one add worth a look

Cade Otton, TE, streaming add in leagues where he is free. Otton played about 92% of the offensive snaps per Pewter Report (94% per RotoWire) and saw four targets, catching three for 25 yards, per FantasyData and RotoWire. The line is modest, but the snap share is the point. RotoWire has him running a route on 77% of dropbacks, and the Bucs used more two-tight-end sets than usual without Otton leaving the field. At a position where most streamers play half the game, a near-every-down tight end has a floor. He is not a difference-maker: four targets on a night when Egbuka drew nine says where the ball goes. Think of him as a bye-week or injury fill-in, not a weekly play. [CHECK: Otton's 2026 rostership, which we could not confirm from a 2026 source.]

Quarterback: only in superflex

Jalon Daniels, QB, superflex and two-quarterback leagues only. In his second start Daniels went 19 of 25 for 189 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, and added 23 rushing yards on seven carries, per FantasyData and buccaneers.com. That is clean, but RotoWire notes he got help from a Dallas defender who dropped a potential pick-six, and that the Bucs' average depth of target fell sharply with him under center. There is also a timing problem: Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb in Week 3, and coach Todd Bowles said this week that Daniels is the current plan against Pittsburgh while Mayfield's grip is tested, per Yahoo Sports. If Mayfield is cleared, Daniels is back on the bench. Do not spend real priority here.

Who to leave alone

Kenny Gainwell, RB. He played roughly 36% of the snaps (Pewter Report) with four carries for 18 yards and three catches for 10 yards. FantasyPros lists him as a drop candidate. He is only insurance for Irving owners.

Sean Tucker, RB. He had five carries for 18 yards and a season-high seven snaps, per Pewter Report, and was stopped on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, according to PFF. That is not a goal-line role.

Tez Johnson, WR. One target, one catch, 64 yards. One catch-and-run on a busted coverage, per RotoWire, is not a role. He played about 37% of the snaps.

Ted Hurst III, WR. He played 46% of the snaps with no targets, per RotoWire, and PFF says his role has shrunk to a rotation with Johnson. A drop candidate in shallow leagues.

Payne Durham, TE. He played 38% of the snaps (Pewter Report) with one target. Otton owns the job.

Next week: Steelers at Raymond James

Pittsburgh visits on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (7:00 p.m. CEST). DraftKings opened the Steelers as 3-point road favorites, per Sports Illustrated, and the line may move if Mayfield plays.

Buccaneers D/ST, a matchup stream at best. FantasyPros has the unit at 7% rostered on Yahoo leagues, which is a single source. [CHECK: Yahoo rostership for the Bucs defense, since only one source was found.] Against Dallas the unit had two interceptions and a fumble recovery but no sacks, per FantasyData, and the 3-0 turnover margin was Tampa Bay's first three-takeaway game since Week 18 of 2025, per buccaneers.com. Pittsburgh is not an easy draw: Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in a 34-22 win over Indianapolis and was pressured on only 15.2% of his dropbacks, per NFL.com, while Jaylen Warren produced 188 yards from scrimmage. We would stream the Bucs only if your alternative is worse.

Chase McLaughlin, K. He kicked one field goal (41 yards) and three extra points, per buccaneers.com and FantasyData. A run-heavy offense produced six points from kicks on the night, not a volume pick. We are not recommending him as a stream.

The honest summary: this is a week to hold your waiver priority. The offense found a rushing identity, and it runs through players you already roster.