Buccaneers vs. Cowboys TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, more

October 7, 2026

Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em lineups advice for the Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Thursday game in Week 5 2026). NFL matchups analysis and TNF starts/sits for Week 5.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys meet on Thursday Night Football in a Week 5 matchup between two teams headed in different directions. Tampa Bay is still searching for its first victory after falling to 0-4 with a 17-14 loss to Green Bay, while Dallas improved to 2-2 with a dramatic 34-30 comeback victory over Houston. The biggest headline for the Buccaneers is that they will once again be without Baker Mayfield.

Dallas is a huge 9.5-point home favorite, and it's easy to understand why. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are coming off their best performances of the season, Javonte Williams scored three touchdowns last week, and the Cowboys have scored at least 20 points in all four games.

I will bring you Thursday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Let's dive into this Week 4 matchup in Cleveland. You can also check out our main Week 5 rankings for all other players. Good luck in Week 5 RotoBallers!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Dallas Cowboys

Thursday, October 8, 8:15 p.m. ET

Notable Injuries:

• Baker Mayfield (QB, TB) - Out - Thumb
• Jalen McMillan (WR, TB) - Out - Knee

Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Matchup Breakdown

Tampa Bay's season was going down the drain, and that was before Baker Mayfield suffered an injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. The Buccaneers fell to 0-4 with Sunday's 17-14 loss to Green Bay, and the offense has scored just 49 points over its last three games.

Jalon Daniels showed some encouraging signs in his first NFL start, including his rushing and throwing his first career touchdown, but he also tossed two interceptions. Now he has to go on the road on a short week for his second start.

Red & White for Thursday Night Football 👏 https://t.co/gODYFCCBh9

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 6, 2026

Bucky Irving remains the lead back, while Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin give him two reliable receiving options. Kenneth Gainwell has also become involved, particularly as a receiver, and scored against Green Bay. The problem is figuring out how many Buccaneers we can trust with an undrafted rookie quarterback and an implied team total of only 19 points.

Dallas is an easy team to analyze for fantasy. Prescott threw for 335 yards against Houston, Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards and the game-winning touchdown, and Williams scored three times. They have enough offensive firepower to put Tampa Bay in a negative game script quickly, and that makes the Cowboys' stars some of the easiest lineup decisions of Week 5.

Must-Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Dak Prescott (QB, DAL)

Prescott bounced back in a big way against Houston, completing 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards. He now gets a Tampa Bay defense that will be without star safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and Dallas has one of the highest implied point totals of Week 5. Prescott has 1,065 passing yards through four games and should be viewed as a strong QB1 Thursday night.

After having his hand wrapped on Sunday, Prescott is not on the injury report.

Dak Prescott has Throwing Hand Wrapped After Sunday's Victory https://t.co/uzv6uxXDex

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 4, 2026

Javonte Williams (RB, DAL)

Williams didn't put up a massive yardage total against Houston, but fantasy managers certainly weren't complaining after he scored three second-half rushing touchdowns. More importantly, Dallas repeatedly trusted him around the goal line over and over.  The Cowboys being 9.5-point favorites sets up exactly the kind of game script we want for Williams.

CeeDee Lamb (WR, DAL)

What do you really need to know after Week 4?. Lamb completely took over against Houston with a career-high 17 receptions for 189 yards and the game-winning touchdown. With Tampa Bay missing Winfield and Dallas projected for nearly 30 points, Lamb is one of the best fantasy starts on the entire Week 5 slate.

George Pickens (WR, DAL)

Pickens took a back seat to Lamb's ridiculous performance against Houston, but that's not a reason to panic. Dallas has shown it can support both receivers, and Pickens can pop off in any game. The biggest concern might actually be Dallas getting so far ahead that it doesn't need to throw much in the second half. Still, Pickens belongs in fantasy lineups as a WR1/WR2 play.

Possible Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Bucky Irving (RB, TB)

Irving remains the safest Tampa Bay fantasy option despite the quarterback situation. He has rushed 56 times for 241 yards through four games while adding 13 receptions for 61 yards. I only worry that Irving didn't get any work in the passing game and Sean Tucker got the goal-line carry in Week 4.

Kenneth Gainwell (RB, TB)

Gainwell is becoming an interesting option in deeper leagues and PPR leagues. He scored against Green and Tampa Bay could be forced into catch-up mode Thursday night, which gives Gainwell some PPR appeal. He is still difficult to trust as anything more than a Flex, but managers dealing with injuries or bye weeks could get some receptions in this one.

Zac Robinson says that the flow of the game and long downs have prevented Sean Tucker from getting snaps sometimes, but he says the offense needs to find ways to get Tucker — and Kenny Gainwell — more carries https://t.co/0nVHrzqeP5

— River Wells (@riverhwells) October 6, 2026

Emeka Egbuka (WR, TB)

Egbuka leads Tampa Bay with 24 targets through four games and has turned them into 15 catches for 154 yards. That's marginal usage, but the quarterback change lowers the ceiling of every Tampa Bay receiver. Egbuka still has enough talent and opportunity to use as a WR3/Flex, but he comes with considerably more risk without Mayfield.

Chris Godwin (WR, TB)

Godwin leads the Buccaneers with 16 receptions and has caught 16 of his 18 targets for 142 yards. His 3.8-yard average depth of target also gives Daniels an easy option near the line of scrimmage when Dallas brings pressure, which they certainly will. Godwin doesn't have an enormous ceiling in this offense right now, but his volume keeps him in the WR3/Flex conversation.

Jake Ferguson (TE, DAL)

Jake Ferguson's fantasy production has been up and down, particularly with Lamb and Pickens demanding so many targets. He also came through with one of Dallas' biggest plays against Houston, converting a fourth-and-4 on the game-winning drive. Ferguson isn't an elite option at the position, but the Cowboys' projected point total makes him a reasonable TE1 play this week.

Consider Sitting for Fantasy Football Lineups

Ted Hurst III (WR, TB)

Hurst has flashed some big-play ability, including a 40-yard touchdown against Minnesota, but the volume isn't reliable enough to trust him with Daniels starting. He has only eight catches for 128 yards and one touchdown through four games and managed only two receptions for 25 yards against Green Bay.

Cade Otton (TE, TB)

Otton has actually been heavily involved, receiving 23 targets and catching 15 passes for 157 yards through four games. However, Tampa Bay has other mouths to feed, and Daniels' presence dramatically lowers the touchdown potential of this offense. Otton is usable in deeper leagues, but there should be better streaming options available.

Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin (WRs, DAL)

There simply isn't enough receiving volume behind Lamb, Pickens, and Ferguson to trust Dallas' secondary wide receivers. Turpin had a 48-yard return that helped spark Dallas' comeback against Houston, but that's much more useful to the Cowboys than fantasy managers. Flournoy is also dependent on a splash play or touchdown. Neither should be in standard fantasy lineups.

Tyler Goodson (RB, DAL)

Goodson is the type of player who could get some extra work if Dallas builds a big lead, but trying to predict garbage-time touches isn't a strong fantasy strategy. Goodson is also dealing with a minor ankle issue on the short week. Keep him on the bench.

Kirksey’s Thursday Night Football Picks

Current Spread: DAL -9.5
Over/Under: 47.5

Dallas is favored by a massive number, but it's difficult to make a strong case for Tampa Bay keeping up right now. The Buccaneers are 0-4, Mayfield is unavailable, and Daniels will be making his second career start on the road with only three days to prepare.

Tampa Bay has scored 19 or fewer points in three consecutive games, and now is being asked to keep pace with the most explosive offense in the NFC.

Prescott, Lamb, Pickens, Ferguson, and Williams give Dallas several ways to attack Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers will also be without some key players on defense. If Dallas gets into the high 20s or low 30s, Tampa Bay is going to have a very difficult time staying within 10 points.

The total is interesting. Dallas could do most of the work here, especially after scoring 34 points against Houston, but 47.5 requires Tampa Bay to contribute something (then again, Atlanta dropped 45 Monday night). The Buccaneers have scored 19, 16, and 14 points over their last three games, while Daniels threw two interceptions in his first start.

A 30-16 Dallas win lands just below the number, and that's the type of game I'm expecting Thursday night. If this ends up being a 37-17 slaughter, however, I won't be surprised.

The Pick: DAL -9.5, UNDER 47.5

2026 Overall Record:
Spread (1-3), Over/Under (2-2)

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