Along with a 0-3 start, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost starting quarterback Baker Mayfield to injury. However, they did get some encouraging news about the setback. But for now, Jalon Daniels is QB1, and here is what that means for fantasy football.

From an NFL standpoint, the Buccaneers’ 2026 season seems to be toast. It’s hard to imagine them finding ways to win games with Mayfield out of the lineup. And when he returns, the win-loss ledger will likely be stacked too high against him.

What does Jalon Daniels bring to the mix? Can he help fantasy players survive?

Does Jalon Daniels bring juice to the fantasy table?

An undrafted free agent, it’s hard to imagine Daniels will hold up to the rigors of the NFL. With teams always desperate for quarterback depth, Daniels didn’t offer enough to earn even a late-round selection. The 6-foot, 219-pounder went 0 for 3 in his brief NFL debut at the end of the loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

He said he did what he could in the difficult situation, according to a post on X by PewterReport.

“When I went into the game, I was just trying to do everything I could to be able to get some points on the board,” Daniels said. “When my number was called, I was trying to go out there and operate.”

In Week 4 against the Packers, Daniels will have the benefit of a full game plan. There has been talk of the Buccaneers bringing in a veteran quarterback, but head coach Todd Bowles said Daniels is the man for now, according to Sports Illustrated.

“We'll go with Jalon, and we'll go play, and we'll see what's out there that we can bring in to help out on the practice squad or help out on the team,” Bowles said.

Is Jalon Daniels even ready for this big step?

Bowles said he believes Daniels is ready, according to buccaneers.com.

“The same confidence that he made the team with,” said Bowles of what gives him that belief in the young quarterback. “Just going out there, performing, doing his job and being him, going through his reads and making throws and playing football. His performance speaks for itself when he's out there. His confidence speaks for itself. And they rally around him.

“It's going to be like every other rookie. But he played well in the preseason. He's very bright. He's not going to be out there by himself. We just expect him to do his job and play at a high level, as he expects of himself.”

Daniels didn’t get drafted after a somewhat disappointing college career, according to NFL.com.

“Sixth-year senior who was unable to live up to the promise shown earlier in his career,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Daniels hasn’t shown the ability to consistently dissect defenses and win with accuracy from the pocket. He has a decent arm but lacks consistent mechanics, timing, and three-level ball placement. The vast majority of his interceptions were due to a lack of coverage recognition. Daniels’ running ability helps, but he appears ill-prepared for an NFL passing game.”

Ut-oh.

Should you trade any of the Buccaneers’ receivers?

Article Continues Below

Probably not. The return on investment likely won’t be worth it. Now, if there’s a crazy manager in your league who still thinks Emeka Egbuka will have a good season, by all means trade him.

But the only thing to do with Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan is to bench them until Mayfield returns. Given the expectations for Egbuka going into the season, that’s a tough thing to do.

Also, tight end Cade Otton no longer carries even a touchdown-dependent value with Daniels at quarterback.

Now the ground game is interesting. There’s a small possibility that Bucky Irving could be even more valuable. He should get plenty of touches. Not only will the Buccaneers concentrate on running the football, but it’s very likely Daniels will resort to a steady diet of checkdown-Charlie looks to Irving and Kenny Gainwell.

However, a realistic picture needs to be painted. With Mayfield running the show, the Buccaneers managed only 62 points in three games. It wasn’t exactly an offensive showcase. It’s hard to imagine the offense averaging even 14 points per game with Daniels at quarterback.

Fantasy managers can reasonably hope for only one touchdown per game. Maybe two if the defense forces a plus-territory turnover.

Here’s the biggest problem for fantasy managers

If your team is 1-2 and you rely on Egbuka or Irving as key pieces, you could get swamped over the next three weeks. That’s how long Mayfield will be out, at a minimum, according to buccaneers.com.

“An MRI examination on Monday confirmed what the Buccaneers initially believed. That there is no fracture or tendon tear in the joint,” Scott Smith wrote. “And Head Coach Todd Bowles said he does not believe surgery or a stay on injured reserve for Mayfield will be needed.”

“It's consistent with everything we thought it was, a dislocation,” said Bowles. “Right now we're probably talking a minimum of three weeks.”

The one small sliver of hope is that the Buccaneers will see some blitzing. Maybe Daniels could hit a big play down the field to Egbuka.

“Depending on what kind of scheme, but I'm sure they'll blitz him a lot, show him a bunch of different looks,” Bowles said. “And I'm sure he's going to get a lot of pressure.”