Panthers
The Buccaneers lost 26-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday, and the box score tells a lopsided story about where the fantasy points came from. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka led all Tampa Bay players with 17.8 PPR points, and he needed 16 targets to get there. Behind him came a kicker and a rookie quarterback, which says plenty about the afternoon.
Week 6 fantasy scoreboard
Week 6: Buccaneers vs Pittsburgh Steelers, 19-26
7 rec 48 yds TD
FG 4/4, XP 1/1
22/43 164 yds TD 2 INT · 4 car 39 yds · 1 rec -3 yds
4 rec 37 yds
3 rec 40 yds
5 sacks · 1 INT · 26 pts allowed
19 car 46 yds · 2 rec 3 yds
2 car 17 yds · 1 rec 7 yds
1 rec 21 yds
2 rec 7 yds
1 rec 4 yds
Top scorers: 1. Emeka Egbuka (WR), 17.8 PPR. 2. Chase McLaughlin (PK), 13.0 PPR. 3. Jalon Daniels (QB), 11.2 PPR.
Egbuka carries the offense
Egbuka caught 7 of his 16 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown. That is a modest yardage total, and the 17.8 PPR points lean on two things: the receptions (7.0 points in PPR) and the score (6.0). In standard scoring he drops to 10.8, still the best of any non-kicker. He has now found the end zone in back-to-back games, after a pair of scores in the Week 5 win over Dallas, according to NBC Sports.
The volume is the real signal. Sixteen targets is a workhorse share for a passing game that produced only 164 yards through the air.
McLaughlin and the defense
Chase McLaughlin was perfect: 4 of 4 on field goals, with a long of 53 yards, plus his one extra point, for 13.0 points in every format. A kicker finishing second on the team is rarely good news for the offense. It means drives stalled near scoring range, and Tampa Bay settled for three points more often than it wanted.
The Buccaneers D/ST added 7.0 points on 5 sacks and an interception, despite allowing 26 points. In leagues that reward sacks, that is a respectable day for a unit on a losing team.
Daniels and the quiet middle
Jalon Daniels, the undrafted rookie starting while Baker Mayfield recovers from a dislocated right thumb (per Buccaneers.com), went 22 of 43 for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Those two turnovers cost him 4 points. His 39 rushing yards on 4 carries kept him at 11.2 PPR, which is the entire reason the line is not worse.
The rest of the group was thin. Chris Godwin Jr. caught 4 of 8 targets for 37 yards (7.7 PPR). Ted Hurst III had 3 catches for 40 yards (7.0). Bucky Irving ran 19 times for 46 yards and added 2 catches for 3 yards, 6.9 PPR, a poor return on that workload. Kenny Gainwell had 2 carries for 17 yards and a catch for 7 (3.4).
The disappointments
Tight ends were the biggest hole. Bauer Sharp turned his lone target into 21 yards (3.1 PPR), and Cade Otton caught 1 of 2 targets for 4 yards (1.4). Tez Johnson had 2 catches for 7 yards on 3 targets (2.7). None of the three is a fantasy factor on this evidence.
What it means for next week
Egbuka is a start every week while the target volume holds, and Godwin's 8 targets suggest he should keep a flex role. Treat Irving as a hold: 19 carries is a usable floor, but without touchdowns the ceiling stays capped. Daniels is a streaming option at best in one-quarterback leagues, since the interceptions and low yardage outweigh his legs. Check the official injury report before setting lineups, because Mayfield's status could change who throws the ball. Do not chase the kicker or the D/ST based on one game.
How we score
We use standard fantasy scoring: passing 0.04 per yard, 4 per touchdown, minus 2 per interception; rushing and receiving 0.1 per yard, 6 per touchdown; receptions 1.0 (PPR), 0.5 (half) or 0 (standard); fumble lost minus 2; return touchdown 6. Kickers get 3 per field goal, 1 per extra point and minus 1 per miss. The D/ST scores 1 per sack, 2 per interception or fumble recovery and 6 per touchdown, plus points-allowed tiers. Two-point conversions are not counted because they are not in the box score.
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