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This offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made arguably the biggest noise when it comes to acquisitions. Of course, they are mainly on defense, but this football club still has some very fantasy relevant options to choose from. In my eyes, they will be an exciting team to watch in 2013, and they are up next in the Fantasy 32 series.
Related: Fantasy Football: Top Options 2013 Keeper League Draft
Quarterback
We’re waiting, Josh… When you talk about potential, the name Josh Freeman comes to mind. He is big, athletic and has a strong arm, but thus far just hasn’t played like the quarterback he is capable of. In 2012, Freeman had his moments in fantasy land, finishing seventh in the league in passing touchdowns (27) and posting nine double-digit touchdown performances. Many fantasy owners think of Freeman as a dual threat guy that can provide production with his legs as well, but wait just one second. Freeman has only scored four rushing touchdowns in his career and his career high in rushing yards for a season is 364. Because of his size, Freeman is more of a stay-at-home quarterback who will wait for his receivers. Unfortunately, Freeman has shown difficulty reading defenses throughout his career, one of the biggest contributing factors to his underachievement. However, there is reason to like Freeman. He set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns last year and posted his highest passer rating (81.6) since 2010. With guys on the outside like Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, Freeman has the weapons and, at least I believe, upside to be a viable fantasy quarterback, but nothing more than a bye week filler for now.
Running Back
The Muscle Hamster, Dougernaut, whatever you want to call him, Doug Martin was terrific for fantasy owners last season. Rushing for 1,454 yards and 11 scores, Martin emerged into a top-10 fantasy runner in 2012. He has a terrific combination of everything; speed, size, hands, acceleration, etc. Of course, everyone remembers that monster Week 9 performance against Oakland where he accumulated 272 total yards and four touchdowns. I think his fantasy greatness was a tad bit skewed, however, as Martin was a bit streaky over the course of the season, but watching him last season, this guy is legit. He can catch the ball very well out of the backfield (I mean, he was compared to Ray Rice) and head coach Greg Schiano indicated that he wants to use his second-year back on third downs more often. Martin should be very productive again in 2013, especially when you consider he gets Davin Joseph back to block for him, who missed all of last season, as well as recently acquired Carl Nicks, who was placed on injured reserve in October. At a whopping 6’5″, Nicks is massive, but can also get to the outside and block for Martin on screens and such plays, so the return of both of these guys should help immensely. It seems everything is working in his favor, which makes him at least a top-10 fantasy running back heading into this season.
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Wide Receiver
I absolutely love these receivers in fantasy and you should too. First, Vincent Jackson clearly rewarded the Bucs for giving him that massive $26 million contract. Jackson set a career high in catches (69) and receiving yards (1,384). His eight touchdowns weren’t too shabby either. He is a big time deep threat, having led the league in average yards per catch (19.2). Freeman will (and should) target him frequently and after doing so 141 times in 2012, expect that trend to continue. This offense seems to be continuing to improve and Jackson is one of the main reasons behind that. Just think, he put up awesome numbers in a season where Freeman played good, but not great. If the quarterback can finally take that next step, Jackson (and his fantasy owners) will reap the benefits. However, Jackson certainly isn’t the only fantasy relevant wideout in Tampa. A guy I have been high on for years now, Mike Williams just continues to get overlooked. He as featured in a few of my columns already this offseason, so I clearly am supporting the guy. Over the last three seasons combined, Williams is tied for ninth in receiving touchdowns. That’s more than guys like Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and even his teammate, Jackson. He is a big, physical wideout who isn’t afraid to go up and get any ball. Don’t expect 1,000-plus yardage, but as a strong red zone option on an improving offense, expect some solid touchdown numbers.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
