Falcons vs. Buccaneers Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Thursday Night - Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts Sr., Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Mike Evans

December 11, 2025

Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em lineups advice for Falcons vs. Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 (2025). NFL matchups analysis and TNF starts/sits.

Thursday Night Football games are winding down, and so is the fantasy football season. Only Weeks 15 and 16 are left as traditional Thursday night games before we get a triple-header on Christmas Day. This Thursday night brings an intradivisional matchup between two struggling teams as the Atlanta Falcons visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta is long out of a playoff spot, but the Buccaneers are fighting with Carolina to win the NFC South.

In Round 1 of the fantasy football playoffs, who to start and sit is the most important it has been all season. There is no next week if your team underperforms. In this interesting Thursday night matchup, there are some clear players to start and then a lot of tough decisions based on the teams' various injury concerns.

I will bring you Thursday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should be benched. Let's dive into this Week 15 Thursday night matchup for the 2025 season. You can also check out our main Week 15 start 'em, sit 'em matchups article for all other games. Good luck in your first round of the fantasy football playoffs, RotoBallers!

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Thursday, December 11th, 8:15 PM ET

Notable Injuries:

• Drake London (WR, ATL) - Questionable - Knee
• Kyle Pitts Sr. (TE, ATL) - Questionable - Knee
• Mike Evans (WR, TB) - Questionable, On IR - Collarbone
• Jalen McMillan (WR, TB) - Questionable, On IR - Neck
• Cade Otton (TE, TB) - Questionable - Knee

Falcons vs. Buccaneers Matchup Breakdown

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently have a 7-6 record after coming off a loss against the New Orleans Saints at home. This poor showing against a bad team gives the Carolina Panthers a share of the NFC South lead, and now Tampa Bay has to fight Atlanta to take it back. Tampa Bay has been ravaged by injuries for the most part, and its play since the bye week has shown an offense that is struggling without some of its playmakers and left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Bucco Bruce is back 🔜 pic.twitter.com/oFCCFuh0KJ

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 9, 2025

The Falcons dropped to 4-9 on the season following their 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. It was a horrible offensive showing for Kirk Cousins and the Falcons, and without Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London these last three weeks, the offense can barely get going.

The Falcons only have 185.7 passing yards per game in their last three, and you can be sure the Buccaneers are going to pin their ears back and try to go after Cousins.

The Falcons have lost seven of their last eight games, and are 2-5 on the road this season. The Buccaneers have lost five of their last seven, and are 3-3 at Raymond James Stadium. Someone's streak is going to come to an end on Thursday night, and it will likely be who can give their quarterback the time to make accurate throws to receivers.

Must-Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Bijan Robinson (RB, ATL)

Bijan Robinson is the RB5 in half-PPR fantasy points per game this season, so there is no reason to worry about sitting the guy who helped get you to the playoffs. The Buccaneers are just an average team against the run, but have allowed the most receiving yards to running backs this season. Look for Robinson to be heavily utilized there.

The third player in @NFL history through his first three seasons with:

3,500+ rushing yards
1,500+ receiving yards

🔥 @Bijan5Robinson x #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/59WNBPheDP

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 9, 2025

Kyle Pitts Sr. (TE, ATL)

With London out for the last three games, Kyle Pitts Sr. has become Kirk Cousins' favorite target in the passing game. Pitts has 23 targets in that span and has 13 catches for 172 combined yards over his last three contests. The tight end position has become a depleted wasteland this season, so Pitts showing a pulse late in the year is something to pay attention to.

Bucky Irving (RB, TB)

Somehow, Bucky Irving has exactly 15.1 fantasy points in both of his games since he returned from an injury that kept him out for seven games. But what was encouraging last week was that Irving saw 18 touches and scored his first touchdown despite nasty weather conditions. He has had no injury setbacks and looks ready to build on his 50% of snaps played in Week 14.

Emeka Egbuka (WR, TB)

I understand that there have been easy drops and uncatchable balls with way too much frequency for Emeka Egbuka lately. But the talented rookie has no fewer than eight targets in a game in the last five weeks and also leads all receivers and tight ends in red-zone looks this year. The production will come around at some point, and we have seen the ceiling over the first five weeks of the year.

Baker Mayfield (QB, TB)

Baker Mayfield was supposed to lead a powerful offensive attack against the lowly Saints at home on Sunday. Instead, he completed less than half of his passes while throwing for 122 yards and a score, plus an interception. Reinforcements are on the way; however, as Mike Evans might come back this week, Egbuka has just been plain unlucky.

The Falcons have allowed 23 total touchdowns to quarterbacks in 13 games, and when Mayfield played them in Week 1, he threw for three touchdowns and earned 28.5 fantasy points.

Possible Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Drake London (WR, ATL)

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris called London “day to day” on Monday, and he has not been a participant in practice. It is unlikely London will be ready to go on a short week ahead of a Thursday game against the Buccaneers, even if he practices in some capacity on Wednesday. He is a borderline start if he does play because of the risk of reinjury or reduced snaps. The hope is we have definitive injury news by late Wednesday.

Tyler Allgeier (RB, ATL)

Tyler Allgeier has been very touchdown-dependent in recent weeks. He has four touchdowns in his last five games, but has only surpassed eight fantasy points twice in that span. He is getting carries at the goal line, but the Falcons will need several trips to the red zone for Allgeier to become a necessary fantasy contributor.

Rachaad White (RB, TB)

With Irving back last week, Rachaad White still played 49% of snaps and saw 12 touches, including two in the red zone (Irving had none). White is never going to be the most efficient running back around, but his consistent usage and role in the red zone keep him on the fantasy radar. He is a flex-worthy play this week.

Chris Godwin Jr. (WR, TB)

Chris Godwin Jr.'s snaps, targets, and receptions have gone up each of the three weeks since his return from injury. Eight targets leading to five catches for 55 yards may not blow anyone away, but his production in Week 14 is a good sign for what might be to come.

Mike Evans (WR, TB)

Evans has had limited practices this week as the Buccaneers think about activating him for a must-win game in Week 15. He would not be a WR1 or WR2 in my estimation, but he could easily demand four to six targets and catch one of them for a touchdown. That puts him in WR3 or flex territory if they decide he can suit up.

Mike Evans Gets Through Limited Practice on Tuesday https://t.co/BPFj9NnBfy

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) December 10, 2025

Cade Otton (TE, TB)

As the Tampa Bay offense has struggled, so has Cade Otton. He has not had more than 4.9 fantasy points in any of his last four games. His five games before that give us hope that things can turn around. In those contests, he scored more than 10 fantasy points in three of them, and never had fewer than six points.

Consider Sitting for Fantasy Football Lineups

Kirk Cousins (QB, ATL)

Cousins has fantasy scores of two, 19, 15, and 0.48 since taking over as quarterback after Michael Penix Jr. got hurt. Cousins is a desperation play only, but might be in play in 2QB leagues since the Buccaneers allow the fifth-most fantasy points to the position. Last week, the Buccaneers didn't allow a passing touchdown, but Tyler Shough beat them with his legs. That isn't a concern with Cousins.

Darnell Mooney (WR, ATL)

Darnell Mooney was not given more work as Cousins and Raheem Morris said he would when London got injured. Mooney had one catch for six yards in the Falcons’ pitiful showing against Seattle on Sunday. Mooney now has just 12 receptions in his last seven games and seems to be buried in this offense.

Sean Tucker (RB, TB)

Sean Tucker scored a touchdown last week as one of his seven touches, but with Irving back and active again, Irving has played on 15% and 16% of snaps in the Buccaneers' last two games. He is a risky touchdown-dependent play, or perhaps you're hoping Tampa Bay blows out Atlanta and Tucker gets a lot of garbage time.

Jalen McMillan and Sterling Shepard (WRs, TB)

Jalen McMillan is coming off a serious neck injury (if he even plays on Thursday night), and Sterling Shepard has 22 total receiving yards in his last three games, even without Evans and McMillan in the lineup. I will pass on both of these as they are not one of the five players this offense focuses on right now.

Kirksey’s Thursday Night Football Picks

Current Spread: TB -4.5
Over/Under: 44.5

This number appears to be right on the money based on the historical trends for Atlanta and Tampa Bay this season. Tampa's last seven games have averaged 44 points, and Atlanta has been at 43.8 with Cousins at quarterback. What concerns me about betting the over in this game is the immediate history of both of these teams.

Tampa Bay has been struggling to consistently score points and lost to New Orleans at home last week. Atlanta just got shellacked by Seattle 37-9, and also lost to the lowly New York Jets the week before. Cousins hasn't thrown for more than 234 yards in any of his three starts, and Atlanta has lost seven of its last eight.

I think this is a fairly safe game to pick the under, based on how the teams have been playing, but I think Tampa's offense gets on track enough to cover the 4.5 points. I'll take Tampa Bay 24, Atlanta 16 in this Thursday night game.

The Pick: TB -4.5, UNDER 44.5

2025 Overall Record (including Thanksgiving):
Spread (7-9), Over/Under (10-6)

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