Getty DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 15: Breshad Perriman #19 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs for a first down during the second quarter of the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 15, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
It has been a whirlwind season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, littered with extreme highs and extreme lows. With that said, one thing they’ve been able to hang their hat on for the majority of this year is the consistent threat that they’ve presented in the passing game.
The Bucs rank tops in the NFL in passing yards per game in 2019 with 308.8 per contest. Yet, most of that production came with both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the football field, arguably two of the best receivers in the league.
However, with one headed to the IR and the other likely to follow in his footsteps, can you wipe your hands clean of any Bucs receivers for your championship run? Or, could a former first-round bust be exactly what you need to help you capture a league title? Let’s take a look.
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Breshad Perriman’s Fantasy Outlook vs. Houston Texans
If you’re still in contention in your fantasy league in Week 16, chances are you placed a waiver-wire bid on Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman. One of the few must-add pickups of the week, Perriman is fresh off of a career showing where the former first-round draft pick out of UCF torched the Detroit Lions to the tune of five receptions, 113-yards, and an absurd three touchdowns.
That type of production was good enough to make Perriman the WR2 in fantasy football for the week and the sixth-highest scoring player, regardless of position. While a 34.6 point outing will certainly buy a player onto a roster, many fantasy owners are wary of starting a player with such little success in the NFL, in the midst of the most important week of the fantasy season.
However, Perriman is not as much of a one-week wonder as many may believe. While he may have just hit the mainstream fantasy radar, Perriman is the WR3 in fantasy since Week 12, scoring 13.7+ points in three consecutive games.
Most importantly, his usage points to Perriman’s success being sustainable. The wideout has seen five-plus targets in each of his last three games, including six targets in two of those games. He’s also played an averaged of 86% of the team’s offensive snaps over the past two weeks, a major jump from his season average of 53.5% prior to Week 14. Those numbers should only increase, as Perriman is poised to take on the WR1 role in the Bucs offense with both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the mend.
No need to worry if the Bucs will shy away from the pass due to the number of injuries to their ultra-talented wide receiver group. Tampa Bay passes the football, that’s what they do. They currently lead the league in passing attempts and passing yards, while ranking second in passing touchdowns.
Plus, over the past two weeks, with Evans and Godwin both injured, Jameis Winston still managed to put up back-to-back 450+ yard, four-touchdown performances.
The Bucs aerial attack will once again have a chance to feast on Saturday vs. a struggling Houston Texans secondary. Houston allows the fifth-most passing yards in football this season. Yet, they’ve managed to be even worse against the pass over their last three games, allowing the third-most passing yards, and have seen their allowed passing ypg jump by nearly 25 yards over that span.
Should You Start or Sit Breshad Perriman in Week 16?
No one throws the football more than the Buccaneers, and not many teams struggle to defend the pass more than the Texans.
Houston has allowed two 100+ yard, one-touchdown receivers over the last three weeks. Perriman has averaged 90 yards and 1.33 touchdowns over his last three contests.
Perriman will serve a Jameis Winston’s WR1 on Saturday, and should provide solid WR3 numbers for your fantasy team in Week 16.
- See how Perriman stacks up against other wideouts on your roster in our Week 16 Wide Receiver Rankings here.
- *Check out our Week 16 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems to further optimize your lineups
- Start-Sit [ QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | DEF | Ks]
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