5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Target in Fantasy Football
Fantasy Football: 5 Players to Target from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished 7-9 under new head coach Greg Schiano and new offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan. Seven of the team's losses were decided by one touchdown or less. It was definitely a good sign, as the team was better than they were in 2011, where they were a dreadful 4-12. In just one year, Schiano set team records for most points, touchdowns, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Now that the team has had one full year to become familiar with the playbooks, fantasy production should spike up.
The Buccaneers' main fantasy value is the running game, where Doug Martin, AKA the Muscle Hamster, took everyone by surprise. He had a mid-season breakout in his rookie year. Everyone will look to draft him in the first round. Since he's so dangerous whenever he has the ball, it'll open the passing game for Josh Freeman to throw to wideouts Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Under Sullivan's tutelage, Freeman threw for 4,065 yards and 27 touchdowns, but he also threw 17 interceptions. With guards Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph returning from injury, Freeman will get better protection and more time to throw downfield. 2013 will determine whether Freeman deserves to be paid like an elite quarterback.
The one area the team cannot be depended on is on defense. While they were first in stopping the run, they had trouble covering the passing game. Since the NFL is mainly a passing league, the Buccaneers will have to depend on their offensive production to carry the team. Luckily, the team has plenty of weapons. Here are the top five players fantasy who fantasy owners should keep a look out for on the Buccaneers.
Robert Lin is a writer for rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rlin2k or add him to your Google network.
No. 5: Lawrence Tynes
Last year with the New York Giants, kicker Lawrence Tynes made 84.6 percent of his kicks. He also kicked 12 field goals greater than forty yards. I expect the team will reach the end zone more in 2013, which will lead to more extra point attempts. Plus, Tynes has good accuracy and kicking power, so field goal attempts from most distances should not be a problem.
No. 4: Mike Williams
Last season, Williams had 996 receiving yards and caught nine touchdowns. He was injured this past Monday. If the injury is not serious, touchdowns should be there for him.
No. 3: Josh Freeman
Freeman has always been the starter, but this time he's playing for a new contract. He was on pace for a Pro-Bowl season, but back-to-back four-interception games really hurt his value. 25-plus touchdowns should be feasible again now that he's more familiar with the offensive schemes. He has two great receivers in Jackson and Williams, has the power to throw deep, and the play action should work wonders with the opposing team having to respect Martin's running game. He just has to read the defense better and not force mistakes.
No. 2: Vincent Jackson
Jackson is the team's deep-ball threat. He had a career-high 72 receptions and 1,384 receiving yards last season. He has more value in PPR leagues.
No. 1: Doug Martin
Martin was a fantasy surprise last season. He had 1,454 rushing yards on 319 carries and 11 rushing touchdowns. He wasn't good in goal line situations, but with an open field, nobody can stop him. Now that two key guards are healthy again, he might have bigger holes to run through. Most fantasy predictions have Martin ranked as the fifth best running back. That's still good for a first-round selection.
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