Buccaneers vs. Texans Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Monday Night - Nico Collins, Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, Nick Chubb, Jayden Higgins, Baker Mayfield, C.J. Stroud

Fantasy football start em, sit em MNF lineups advice for Buccaneers vs. Texans on Monday Night Football in Week 2 (2025). NFL matchups analysis and MNF starts/sits.

Week 2 of the fantasy football season has arrived, and the Buccaneers and Texans will kick off the first of two Monday night games. With two MNF contests loaded with fantasy-relevant players on tap, tons of matchups will likely go down to the wire, and it's important to nail those lineup decisions.

Below, read about the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Nico Collins, Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, Nick Chubb, Jayden Higgins, Baker Mayfield, and C.J. Stroud. Which Bucs or Texans players should you start or sit in Week 2?

We will bring you Monday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Good luck in your second 2025 fantasy football week, 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 Houston Texans

Monday, September 15th, 7:00 PM ET

Notable Injuries:

• Chris Godwin (foot) - OUT
• Christian Kirk (hamstring) - OUT

Matchups We Love

QB C.J. Stroud 

Since his rookie season, things have gone downhill for Stroud. He struggled in his sophomore campaign and looked abysmal as a passer last week. However, Stroud has sneaky QB2 value this week against a Buccaneers defense that hasn't been able to stop the pass since 2024. Penix just threw for 298 yards against this secondary last week, and this defense gave up the second-most fantasy points to QBs last year.

WR Nico Collins

With Stroud expected to have a solid fantasy day, that should benefit Nico Collins the most. Although he didn't do much in Week 1, this is a big bounce-back spot for the wideout as well. Tampa Bay allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to WRs last year, and Collins' matchup against Jamel Dean is solid. Dean allowed five catches alone in coverage last week.

Nico Collins Set for a Big Bounceback? https://t.co/qiNLIfKwMn

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 14, 2025

Matchups We Hate

RB Nick Chubb

Look at what the Buccaneers' front seven did against Bijan Robinson last week (12 carries for 24 yards). That should be all the reason to sit Nick Chubb in this game. Chubb actually looked solid running the football in Week 1 with a 13-carry, 60-yard rushing day. However, this Tampa Bay run defense has been one of the best in recent seasons, led by Vita Vea.

WR Mike Evans

After a tough matchup in Week 1, Evans gets another difficult one in Week 2. The potential Hall of Famer will go up against All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. Stingley has emerged as one of the best young corners in the game and did a nice job against Adams a week ago. So, Evans is a riskier WR2 option.

Other Notable Matchups

QB Baker Mayfield

The touchdown numbers continue to pile up for Baker Mayfield. Following a 41-touchdown season in 2024, he opened up the 2025 campaign with a three-touchdown effort against the Falcons. Although Houston has been known to have a better defense than the one Mayfield saw last week, he will still be a QB1 in Week 2.

RB Bucky Irving

Bucky Irving operated as the clear RB1 in Tampa Bay's backfield last week, playing 76% of the team's offensive snaps. While the results on the ground weren't there, you are still starting him as a low-end RB1 this weekend. The Texans do have a solid run defense, but that isn't enough to sit Irving in this one.

WR Emeka Egbuka

What a rookie debut for Emeka Egbuka in Week 1. He caught four passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns and finished as the overall WR4 on the week. After that performance, you are likely starting him in most formats as a WR2/WR3. Since he will pretty much avoid Stingley in this game, he should be in most lineups.

EMEKA EGBUKA. THE ROOKIE. AGAIN.

TBvsATL on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/pLyQEvaSG4

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

TE Dalton Schultz

Schultz doesn't provide much upside at the TE position this week. He caught just three passes for 28 yards last week while playing a mere 54% of the team's offensive snaps. There are better tight ends to roll with this week in fantasy.

More Buccaneers vs. Texans Fantasy Football Outlooks

WR Jayden Higgins

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins did lead his team in receiving yards in Week 1, but the offense struggled so badly against the Rams that he still only had 32 yards on two catches. He'll look for better totals in Week 2 against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football in the early game of the doubleheader. Higgins only played 43% of snaps, working behind veterans Xavier Hutchinson and Justin Watson. He drew three targets and converted two into catches, but the third was ripped out of his hands by Cobie Durant for an interception.

Higgins flashed some upside, but the fact that he played so few snaps in an offense that struggled so much makes him hard to trust in Week 2. He's the WR67 in the RotoBaller rankings for Week 2, and he should be on the bench in most formats until he gets a larger role. The rookie still has long-term potential, but the offense would have to find its groove to make him a fantasy factor.

K Ka'imi Fairbairn

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made all three of his field goal attempts in Week 1, including a pair of long chances from over 50 yards. He accounted for all the Texans' scoring in their 14-9 loss to the Rams as the offense sputtered.

If the offense continues to struggle to score touchdowns, Fairbairn could continue to get plenty of field goal chances, and on Monday night, he'll play at home in Houston's NRG Stadium, where the retractable roof usually leads to a friendly kicking environment. Fairbairn is the No. 6 kicker in the RotoBaller rankings, making him a solid starting option in most standard-sized leagues this week.

K Chase McLaughlin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin didn't have great results during the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons last week. He went 1-for-2 on field goal attempts and 2-for-3 on extra point attempts in the win. McLaughlin missed a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter and snagged an extra point attempt in the fourth quarter.

This was not an ideal outing for McLaughlin, but he deserves the benefit of the doubt after missing only two field goals all of last season. He figures to remain busy given the Bucs' high-powered offense. Fantasy managers should continue to ride with him as a streaming option for the Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans on Monday night.

RB Rachaad White

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was barely seen on the field during the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons last week. White rushed the ball twice for 14 yards and hauled in his lone target for two yards in the win. Bucky Irving is the clear-cut RB1 in Tampa Bay right now. White figures to remain involved in the passing game, but he didn't see a ton of action in the opener. This early in the season, it's tough to gauge how much White will be used in the offense.

That being said, White is looking like a bench option for the upcoming Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans. White is worth stashing in certain formats because he's the primary backup to Irving, but it doesn't look like he's going to see much of the field right now.

TE Cade Otton

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton was unable to get anything going during the season opener last week. Otton failed to bring in any of his three targets in the win. It's worth noting that Otton was dealing with a groin injury heading into this game. Possibly, Otton's lack of contribution was due to his groin problems.

He appears to be fine heading into the Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans. It's worth noting that Otton has topped 35 yards in just one of his last seven outings, dating back to last season. It's probably best if Otton is left on the bench until he proves he can be a reliable contributor.

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