Baker

Mayfield

Mayfield’s knee injury appears to be in the rearview at this point. The fearless downfield passer should turn in a fantasy-friendly outing as the Buccaneers attempt to continue Mike Evans’ 1,000-yard-season streak. Mayfield is a borderline QB1/2.

After being listed as a DNP on Wednesday, Mayfield was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday. His upgrade with one practice left to go in the week should remove any concern for fantasy managers who thought his Week 16 availability might be in doubt, as we can safely assume that Mayfield will be ready to go on Sunday while hoping to lead the Buccaneers to a playoff berth. The Buccaneers will release their final injury report on Friday, but it sounds like Mayfield’s knee injury is a minor issue at this time.

We don’t know the capacity in which Mayfield practiced, but his return to the field is a good sign for his Week 16 outlook, regardless. With the Buccaneers in the thick of the playoff race and/or the NFC South divisional race, it’s hard to imagine Mayfield missing Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. We’ll have more clarity on Friday when the team’s final injury report is released, but Mayfield seems to be trending in the right direction.

Mayfield was listed as DNP on the Bucs’ practice estimation for Wednesday. He has been dealing with a banged-up leg for the past few weeks, landing him on the injury report. However, he has been playing through it and it is likely Wednesday’s non-participation is just load management. Barring a setback, Mayfield is still on track to play Week 16 against the Cowboys.

Mayfield spent a few weeks on the Buccaneers’ injury reports nursing leg injuries but he looks fully healthy now. The feisty scrambler had multiple lengthy runs called back due to holding penalties but still turned in an extremely fantasy-friendly stat line. Despite Bucky Irving’s successes, the team remains committed to maximizing Mayfield’s available pass-catchers in the red zone, sometimes benching Irving in favor of pass-catching specialist Rachaad White in scoring position. Mayfield is a high-end QB2 against the Cowboys in Week 16.

Mayfield appeared to twist his ankle early in the game and had his foot wrapped after the drive. He walked gingerly on the foot a few times but never missed a snap because of the issue. It’s something to watch out for on the Bucs’ injury report this week but won’t put him at risk of missing Week 15. The Raiders got consistent pressure on Mayfield, forcing four sacks, a lost fumble, and the two interceptions. Now fully in his gunlsinger era, Mayfield’s turnovers have been an issue for the Bucs but not his fantasy backers. Mayfield has scored at least three times in all but one of his five games with two or more interceptions. Mayfield will stay at the back of the QB1 ranks for his Week 15 date with the Chargers.

Mayfield gets a soft matchup against the Raiders’ fantasy-friendly pass defense this week. Given his injuries, it is fair to expect him to scramble less frequently than we would like him to but he should play efficiently as a passer. He is a borderline QB1/2.

Fantasy managers should fully expect to have Mayfield available against the lowly Raiders in Week 14, though his pass-catching corps may be short-staffed. Mike Evans (hamstring/calf) and Bucky Irving (hip/back) have missed Week 14’s first two practices.

The two injuries likely occurred on the same play. Mayfield was spun to the ground during a tackle, with his foot briefly planted in the process. The force likely stressed the inside of his knee. After hitting the ground, Panthers DE Jadeveon Clowney accidentally stepped on Mayfield’s lower leg, likely impacting the Achilles. Mayfield’s early-week participation bodes positively for his Week 14 availability though he is clearly banged up.

We don’t quite know when Mayfield suffered his injury, as the veteran quarterback was cleated by a defender on one play and had his ankle twisted on another in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers’ win over the Panthers. Regardless, Mayfield was able to finish the game and appears to be on early track to play in Week 14 against the Raiders. Bowles said he’s unsure how much Mayfield will practice this week, so it’s possible the team gives him some added rest in what will be a pivotal Week 14 matchup for the 6-6 Buccaneers.