Bucs Elevate Easton Stick as Rookie Jalon Daniels Preps for Start No. 2
Tampa Bay brings Stick up again to back up Jalon Daniels, who carries just 16 PPR points through two 2026 games while Baker Mayfield heals.
16 PPR points in two 2026 starts isn't streamable in any format.
- Stick's 2nd practice-squad elevation this season
- Daniels: 16 PPR pts in 2 games (2026)
- Mayfield out 1+ more game, dislocated right thumb Wk 3
- Stick career: 111-of-174, 1,129 yds, 3 TD (2023)
- Daniels -3 fantasy pts vs season avg last 5 games
Tampa Bay signed off on another short-term fix at quarterback Saturday, elevating Easton Stick from the practice squad for the second time this season along with safety J.J. Roberts, the first call-up of Roberts' career. The move keeps a veteran arm dressed behind rookie Jalon Daniels, who makes his second NFL start with Baker Mayfield still sidelined.
Mayfield dislocated his right thumb against the Vikings in Week 3 and will miss at least one more game. That leaves Daniels running the show after a quiet debut — the rookie has thrown for 148 yards and a single touchdown across two appearances in 2026, good for just 16 PPR fantasy points total. Stick stays in the emergency-backup role, not the starting job.
There's a logic to keeping Stick around beyond the resume. He signed with the Bucs' practice squad on Aug. 31 and already knows offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's system from their time together in Atlanta last season. That familiarity matters if Daniels struggles and Tampa needs a plan B mid-game.
What Stick Actually Brings
A fifth-round pick by the Chargers back in 2019, Stick has a thin but not embarrassing track record: six career games, four starts, 111 completions on 174 attempts for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, with an 85.7 passer rating. His only extended run came in 2023, when he posted 76 PPR points over five games. He joined Tampa as an undrafted free agent out of Marshall in 2025.
The Fantasy Fallout
None of this moves the fantasy needle in your favor. Daniels sits unranked in our 2026 model, and his last five games have run three fantasy points below his season average — not the arrow you want from a streamer. Mayfield, our QB12 and No. 26 overall, logged 39 PPR points across three games this season before the thumb injury, so his managers are simply waiting out the stash.
Bottom line: don't talk yourself into the Tampa backfield. Sit Daniels, leave Stick on waivers unless you're in a 2-QB league desperate for a warm body, and hold Mayfield if you've got a bench spot to spare for his return. This is a wait-and-see week for anyone invested in the Bucs' passing game.
