Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Sunday Night Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Baker Mayfield, Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle, Mike Evans, CeeDee Lamb, and more

Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em, and lineup advice for the Buccaneers vs. Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 16 (2024). Detailed player breakdowns and matchup analysis.

We are well into the fantasy football playoffs and we have an excellent matchup for Sunday Night Football between two teams who are capable of providing offensive fireworks, as the Tampa Bay Bucs and Dallas Cowboys are set to square off in a Week 16 primetime matchup.

Led by Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, the Bucs are in the thick of the NFC South divisional championship race and have their eyes set on the postseason. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have won three of their last four in an effort to salvage what's been an abysmal, injury-plagued season.

We'll be bringing you Sunday Night Football analysis all year long, focusing on who to definitely start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Let's dive into this awesome Sunday Night matchup. You can also read all Week 16 Matchups for the entire slate. Good luck, RotoBallers!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys - 8:20 pm ET

Spread: Bucs -4.5

Total: 48.5

Matchups We Love:

QB Baker Mayfield 

Baker Mayfield will be a solid QB1 option in Week 16 against the Cowboys. Mayfield has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in three of the past four games and will now face a Dallas secondary that has allowed seven different quarterbacks to score over 22 fantasy points this season. So, Mayfield can be started in most cases this weekend.

QB Cooper Rush 

Cooper Rush has some sneaky QB2 potential this week against the Buccaneers. Rush has thrown multiple passing touchdowns in three of the past four games, and Tampa Bay has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. As a result, Rush can be a QB2 option in Superflex leagues in Week 16.

WR CeeDee Lamb

Fantasy managers should continue to start CeeDee Lamb in their WR1 spot. Lamb has scored over 20 PPR fantasy points in back-to-back games and now has a great matchup against the Buccaneers in Week 16. Tampa Bay has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season.

Buccaneers WRs 

With two top-3 fantasy wide receiver finishes over the last three games, Mike Evans will continue to be a must-start option in Week 16 against the Cowboys. He will be a high-end WR2 play. As for Jalen McMillan, he can be a solid flex play in 12-plus team leagues. He has totaled over 18 PPR fantasy points in back-to-back games, and this Cowboys secondary has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wideouts since Week 12.

Matchups We Hate:

None

Other Matchups:

Buccaneers RBs 

The Cowboys have been better at stopping the run in recent weeks, but both Bucky Irving and Rachaad White will be solid starts in Week 16. Irving has finished as a top-18 fantasy running back in four of the past five games, and White continues to run the ball well. He has rushed for over 60 yards in three straight games. So, both Irving and White will be RB2 plays in Week 16.

RB Rico Dowdle 

Rico Dowdle has been one of the hottest rushers in the NFL, rushing for over 100 yards in three straight games. That has helped him finish as a top-20 fantasy running back in consecutive weeks. The good news for him is that he now faces a Buccaneers defense that is allowing 4.5 yards per carry to opposing backs this season. So, Dowdle will be a solid RB2 option on Sunday night.

TE Jake Ferguson 

Jake Ferguson hasn't quite developed a strong connection with Cooper Rush, finishing with under 33 receiving yards in three straight full games. Therefore, Ferguson will be more of a TE2 option in Week 16 against the Buccaneers. He'll have a low floor in fantasy this weekend.

TE Cade Otton

Cade Otton has not been a strong fantasy option since Mike Evans has returned. He has scored under 10 PPR fantasy points in three of the past four games and has only seen seven targets over the last two weeks. So, Otton will be more of a TE2 play in Week 16 against a Cowboys defense that hasn't allowed a top-12 fantasy tight end in three straight contests.

Update: Otton is unlikely to play on Sunday night. 

Fantasy-Relevant Injuries: 

• Cade Otton (knee)

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