The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a win on Sunday against the Saints and the team saw Mike Evans return to the starting lineup after dealing with an injury, but now Austin Seferian-Jenkins is out. Evans is a fantasy starter moving forward, while Louis Murphy, Doug Martin and Charles Sims are sleeper options for Jameis Winston into Week 3.
Evans was out for Week 1 of the season and he returned for Week 2 after dealing with a hamstring injury, but he was not productive at all. Fantasy owners were disappointed with his performance, as Evans had zero catches on three targets, but that is not indicative of how the Bucs will use Evans moving forward. According to Fox Sports, Evans said he was on a "pitch count" for the game and he likely will get more work in Week 3 against the Texans.
Evans played 40 snaps in the game against the Saints and the Bucs likely wanted to be cautious, as hamstring injuries can sometimes linger, especially for wide receivers. Evans had a breakout season last year with 68 catches for 1051 yards and 12 touchdowns and fantasy owners are hoping for more production like that. Austin Seferian-Jenkins as a solid sleeper after Week 1, but he is now out with a shoulder injury. Adam Schefter reports he could miss up to six weeks with the injury.
Vincent Jackson is a "1B" to Evans and once Evans gets back on track, his numbers should be more in line with what he did last season. Jackson had three catches for 54 yards and a TD in the upset win against the Saints, while Louis Murphy had three catches for 82 yards. Evans may just need some time to get his rhythm back after missing part of the preseason and Week 1. Doug Martin comes in as the lead back for the Bucs over Charles Sims, but both players are solid options in deeper fantasy leagues. The Bucs like Sims and with Martin somewhat injury prone, Sims is not a bad handcuff player to have.
Martin comes in after putting up 78 yards on 20 carries for the Bucs on Sunday and he also had one catch for 20 yards. Martin had a strong offseason and head coach Lovie Smith said that Martin was showing signs of being back to his rookie year form. Martin has dealt with injuries and inconsistent play over the last two seasons and he is trying to get back to where he was in 2012. Martin played in all 16 games that season and had 1454 yards rushing along with 11 touchdowns and he also added 49 catches for 472 yards.
Martin was one of the most productive backs in football that season and with Jameis Winston starting as a rookie, as strong running game should only help the Bucs on offense. Sims had more touches in Week 2 from Week 1 and while that doesn't mean he will take more away from Martin, it's a situation that fantasy owners should keep an eye on. Sims had eight carries for 38 yards in the game and also added three catches for 14 yards out of the backfield.
Check here for more on Evans, Winston, Jenkins and the Buccaneers after winning over the Saints in Week 2.
