In this 2nd installment of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW, I am going to highlight the IDP relevant players that you should consider rostering to help you win a fantasy championship in 2021!
Raise the banners, hand out the rings, and welcome in your reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
What a magical season for the Bucs, and to think that they are returning all 11 defensive starters from last year! Not only are they returning all 11 starters, but they are returning nearly all of their depth, i.e, rotational pieces. Defensive Coordinator, Todd Bowles, had to be ecstatic when the club re-signed Ndamukong Suh, Lavonte David, and Shaq Barrett.
The burning questions entering the 2021-2022 season on the defensive side are merely the same across the board. Is this the ceiling, or can they even improve upon what they did in 2020? Can they get any better than 8th overall in points allowed? Will they be even stingier in yards allowed (4th fewest)? While these questions can be asked tongue in cheek, I would say that Bowles would like to see the passing yards (12th most) decrease and limit the penalties (2nd most). Let’s just be clear, after watching this defense just smother and dominate my Chiefs in the Super Bowl, I can personally tell you that I will be looking to draft as many players from this defense as possible.
Let’s take a closer look at the IDP players on Tampa Bay that will help you win your IDP fantasy football title!
*This season at Fantasy In Frames we’ll be using IDP123 scoring as our default scoring rubric when talking about the fantasy relevance of IDP player performance.*
Edge (Dual Eligibility)
*Positional designations and ADP brought to you by Sleeper*
Jason Pierre-Paul (Current ADP: DL31/LB46)- JPP led Tampa in sacks in 2020 with 9.5 to go along with his 7 Tackles for Loss, 4 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries, and 14 QB hits. These amazing numbers were good for a DL5 finish overall last year (13.87fppg). Anytime you have the 3rd most pass rush attempts, good things are bound to come. But that can lead to some definite wear and tear.
Coming off of minor knee surgery in February, there are reports that JPP is nearly back to 100% and begging to get more reps in coverage. While we want him to simply get after the QB, it was his coverage abilities that were the cherry on top of an amazing season. His 2 Interceptions led all Edge rushers, and his 6 passes defended was near the top as well. Currently being drafted as a DL3, another productive year in Bowles’ system could produce another DL1/2 finish.
Shaq Barrett (Current ADP: DL8/LB14)- Once the champagne stopped flowing and Tom Brady stopped throwing the Lombardi trophy from boat to boat, priority was then shifted to re-signing Shaq Barrett. Last years’ performance in the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl (4 sacks, 8 hurries, 4 QB hits) was even further proof that the Bucs’ defense is downright scary with him on the opposite edge of JPP.
The Bucs signed Barrett to a 4-year deal with 36M guaranteed. While the 2020 season didn’t match up with his 2019, which saw his sack totals drop from 19.5 to 8 and his QB hits go from 37 to 16, there is no doubt that being part of this blitz-happy defense is going to do wonders for his IDP finish. Barrett had the 2nd most QB pressures in the NFL. While a return to being the NFL’s sack leader isn’t guaranteed, I do think double-digit sacks are in his future.
Linebackers
Lavonte David (Current ADP: LB24)- All Lavonte David does is tackle. With 4 straight years of triple-digit tackles, and just 13 short in 2016 of making it 9 straight, David has proven again that age is but a number. In 2020, David recorded 117 tackles (82 solos), 1.5 sacks, 12 TFL, 6 PD, and an INT. Finishing as the LB12, he averaged 17.1fppg and played in all 16 games for the 6th time in nine years. Durable, dependable, and surrounded by talent, Lavonte David is about as safe an LB2 that you can find, with potentially an LB3 draft capital. Don’t expect a much higher ceiling, but the floor is pretty rock solid.
Devin White (Current ADP: LB1)- The consensus #1 pick in IDP drafts, Devin White is an absolute beast! His LB1 overall finish in 2020 was simply amazing. He averaged 22.1 ppg. Here are some jaw-dropping figures:
3rd in Solo tackles (97). 20th in assisted tackles (43). 3rd in TFL’s (15). 6th in sacks (9). 10th in QB hits (16). The 3rd year LB out of LSU is primed to even build on last years’ success, as he excels in Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme. I could go on and on, but if you have the chance to pick Devin White, do it.
Defensive Back
Antoine Winfield Jr. (Current ADP: DB13)- It’s amazing that the rich get richer. The Bucs absolutely stole Winfield in last years’ draft, and he made a splash in his rookie season. The 2020 season started off hot for Winfield with him winning September Defensive Rookie of the Month. After that and the couple of big games against LV and NYG, he cooled off by comparison. He did finish off strong in the Super Bowl with 6 tackles, 1 pass defended, and an INT. Most notable might be the mocking of Tyreek Hills’s peace sign.
On the season as a whole, he recorded 94 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR, 4 QB hits, and an INT. Can Winfield improve on his excellent rookie season? The answer to that is yes. The ceiling is extremely high, considering his near-misses on intercepted passes and coverage skills. His ability to stuff the run is going to play to his upside. His 86.3 run defense grade, per PFF, ranked 2nd among safeties….as a rookie!