Baker Mayfield

Things seem to be lining up nicely for Tampa Bay’s 2026 3rd Round pick Ted Hurst.  Mike Evans is gone, Emeka Egbuka is dealing with turf toe, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson have not been healthy, and word coming out of Tampa Bay is that Hurst has supplanted Johnson on the depth chart and has been turning heads all offseason.  Hurst could also be the new X-WR (Mike Evans replacement) for the Buccaneers.  So it’s not surprising that Hurst is “going to play a role” this season.

With a 95th percentile speed score, 85th percentile burst score, 73rd percentile catch radius, Hurst is big, fast, strong, and, has burst.  He dominated in college with a 27.8% target share and college dominator rating of 33.6%, and could very well wind up doing the same, or more, in the NFL.  Hurst is currently WR 50 on PlayerProfiler’s Dynasty Rankings and he’s also worth rostering in seasonal-redraft leagues, and probably asap in order to beat that possible week 1 waiver wire rush.

~Jason Diaz

Emeka Egbuka has 27 full days to get healthy before Week 1 against Cincinnati. Egbuka earned a 23.6-percent Target Share and a 34.8-percent Air Yards Share as a rookie, establishing immediate command in Tampa Bay’s passing attack. With Mike Evans now in San Francisco, Egbuka enters Year 2 primed to absorb significant vacated volume.

Toe injuries, however, are are notorious efficiency inhibitors. Like high ankle sprains, they prevent players from being able to explosively push off. Egbuka may be active early in the season, but either on a pitch count or less able to separate. The Buccaneers’ future alpha has dropped to WR23 in the best ball rankings on this news.

Buccaneers rookie WR Ted Hurst—sporting a 33.6% College Dominator Rating and 27.8% College Target Share—is turning heads at minicamp as a boundary X-receiver. While Tampa Bay values the versatile skill sets of Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Chris Godwin Jr., Hurst offers a 6-foot-4 vertical frame to stretch defenses deep.

With field stretcher Tez Johnson missing practice with a groin injury (Godwin, Egbuka and McMillan all sat out the same day for maintenance), Hurst had a day flashing big plays on the outside. While Johnson’s role has been precarious since Hurst was selected in the third round, McMillan’s snap share is also at-risk from the size-speed specimen.

Hurst currently sits fourth on the target hierarchy, but his classic X receiver profile makes him a strong late-round fantasy football draft target with upside if he captures perimeter snaps. Dynasty league drafters would be wise to soak up as much Hurst now before he starts delivering splash plays on Sundays. 

Beyond the knee ligament sprains, Rick Stroud reports that Baker Mayfield also battled a severe biceps contusion and a sprained left AC joint last season, directly impacting his velocity. These injuries limited him to 16.6 fantasy points per game (QB17) and a 63.2-percent completion rate.

Now entering a pivotal contract year with both sides far apart on a financial extension, he faces a hard deadline to finalize a deal before training camp starts. Still just 31.2 years of age, Mayfield is a strong fantasy football buy coming off a gritty season where both he and his top receivers were far from 100-percent healthy. 

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at a financial standstill, with contract negotiations slow-rolling into a potential training camp stalemate. Head coach Todd Bowles wants his quarterback anchored in Tampa long-term, but a massive valuation gap remains between the two parties.

Despite a high-volume offense, Mayfield’s 63.2-percent completion rate and 6.8 yards per pass attempt from the 2025 season have the front office hesitant to meet his price tag before his current contract expires. It is hard to fathom Tampa not extending Mayfield. He will experience a fantasy football dynasty league valuation bump when the new contract is ultimately announced.