Baker Mayfield Out vs. Packers, Rookie Jalon Daniels Gets First Start
A thumb injury sidelines Mayfield (39 PPR pts in 3 games this season) and hands the Bucs offense to an undrafted rookie in Week 4.
A rookie QB caps the ceiling on every Bucs pass-catcher Sunday.
- Mayfield out with right thumb injury suffered vs. Vikings
- Jalon Daniels makes first NFL start Sunday
- Mayfield: 615 pass yds, 2 TD, 2 INT in 3 games (2026)
- Godwin full participant Friday, no game designation
- Bucs-Packers kick off 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James
Baker Mayfield is out for Week 4 against Green Bay, sidelined by the right thumb injury he picked up last week versus Minnesota. That thrusts rookie Jalon Daniels into his first career NFL start, and it reshapes the fantasy math for every Buccaneer who catches passes. Mayfield had been a usable QB2 — our No. 26 overall, No. 12 at the position — on the back of 615 pass yards, two touchdowns and two picks through three games this season (2026), plus 65 rushing yards and a score.
Daniels is a blank slate. He's logged exactly one game this season (2026) with a stat line of nine rushing yards and minus-1 PPR point, and he sits unranked in our model. You can't project a rookie making his debut behind a patchwork offensive line, and that uncertainty drags down the whole Tampa passing attack.
The Rest of the Bucs Report
Tampa also ruled out outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (groin, shoulder), tight end Ko Kieft (elbow) and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad). Linebacker SirVocea Dennis (calf), defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (ankle, foot) and corner Jacob Parrish are all questionable after limited Friday work.
The better news for roster-watchers: Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving and edge Yaya Diaby were full participants Friday and carry no designation. Linebacker Josiah Trotter is back too after sitting last week. Godwin (10 catches, 111 yards, 23 PPR pts in 3 games this season) and Irving (41 PPR pts, 180 rush yards and a TD across three games) are both active — the question is production, not availability.
Green Bay isn't fully healthy either. The Packers ruled out guards Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk plus defensive tackles Warren Brinson and Anthony Campbell, with linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and lineman Jager Burton listed as questionable. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium.
The move is to fade the Tampa pass game. Godwin is a sit this week — a debuting rookie quarterback caps the ceiling on every target, and his No. 78 WR rank doesn't give you the margin to gamble. Irving is the exception: a rookie-led offense that can't trust the air often leans harder on the run, so he's still a startable flex. Mayfield stays on your bench until the thumb clears, and Daniels is strictly a deep-league dart, not a Week 4 streamer.
