Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has seen an elevated role in this offense after the injuries to receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. After nineteen combined receptions throughout the first six games, he’s now caught seventeen passes out of 20 targets in the past two games, combining for 181 yards and two TD’s in these two most recent losses.
Otton’s slow start wasn’t because of his individual performance, but can be better explained by the success of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, the connection they have with the Bucs' QB Baker Mayfield has proved to be elite. For the Bucs’ tight end, his impact as a receiver on this team has significantly improved since losing the team’s top two options. Bucs’ coach Todd Bowles even alluded to Otton running more “receiver-type routes”, noting offensive coordinator Liam Coen had plays drawn up specifically for him.
With that being said, is Cade Otton a top option to start every week on your fantasy team? Let’s dive into it.
Is Otton Available In Your League?
It may already be too late if you don’t have him already. Before this week, Cade Otton was more-than-likely sitting in the free agent tab in your league, despite being a relatively decent option up that point. But now that it’s Friday- and the waiver wire has gone through, it’s likely he’s been picked up.
You still have to make an effort and check to see, even if you already have an elite tight end on your roster. It may be beneficial to add that depth at the position, but depending on who you have on your roster, Otton will continue to be considered to start on every fantasy roster each week.
Should you consider trading for the tight end if he’s already rostered by one of your league mates?
It’s something I would truly consider. If your team has a hole at the TE position and is sufficient in other positions, you have to see if Otton’s owner in your league understands the value he holds moving forward.
How Truly Valuable Is Otton?
My belief is that the current consensus on how the rest of his season will play out doesn’t have enough hype around Cade Otton’s name. You were able to clearly see that he was a large part of the game plan against Baltimore and Atlanta, with both down-the-field targets, paired up with a few screens and short routes.
The core of Otton’s fantasy value lies in his red zone targets and touchdown success. Last week against Atlanta, you were able to see the confident and methodical passes by Mayfield to Otton that resulted in his two touchdown game. The low, quick throws on both touchdowns is something that is practiced and you can tell this QB-TE duo is putting in the necessary work to obtain that long-term success.
Obviously, the success of a team’s receiving option generally falls into the hands of the quarterback. Baker Mayfield has been off to one of the hottest starts in the NFL and doesn’t look to be slowing down after his offense lost two key targets. Leading the league in touchdown passes and second in yards, Mayfield will have to start showing regression in his performance before I stop starting his receiving options in fantasy.
Do What You Can To Acquire Otton
After further review, the Bucs’ tight end is officially a must-start option in fantasy until further notice. Since the departure of Evans and Godwin, Otton has been the team’s top receiving option, even gaining more targets than the upcoming receivers on the roster. His role in this offense has evolved and he should continue to see plays drawn up in his favor, as well as an uptick in touchdown catches.
Although it isn’t a flashy name like Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta, Otton will surely end the season amongst the likes of the league’s top tight ends as far as fantasy score and touchdown totals go. We’ll see how not only Otton continues to be a solid receiving option, but how these other Buccaneers receivers can evolve as well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)
Monday, November 4, 8:15 p.m. ET
Arrowhead Stadium (capacity: 76,416)
Kansas City, Missouri
Television: ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN2 (ManningCast)
TV Broadcast Team: Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Erin Andrews (reporter)
Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station
Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente
Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has seen an elevated role in this offense after the injuries to receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. After nineteen combined receptions throughout the first six games, he’s now caught seventeen passes out of 20 targets in the past two games, combining for 181 yards and two TD’s in these two most recent losses.
Otton’s slow start wasn’t because of his individual performance, but can be better explained by the success of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, the connection they have with the Bucs' QB Baker Mayfield has proved to be elite. For the Bucs’ tight end, his impact as a receiver on this team has significantly improved since losing the team’s top two options. Bucs’ coach Todd Bowles even alluded to Otton running more “receiver-type routes”, noting offensive coordinator Liam Coen had plays drawn up specifically for him.
With that being said, is Cade Otton a top option to start every week on your fantasy team? Let’s dive into it.
Is Otton Available In Your League?
It may already be too late if you don’t have him already. Before this week, Cade Otton was more-than-likely sitting in the free agent tab in your league, despite being a relatively decent option up that point. But now that it’s Friday- and the waiver wire has gone through, it’s likely he’s been picked up.
You still have to make an effort and check to see, even if you already have an elite tight end on your roster. It may be beneficial to add that depth at the position, but depending on who you have on your roster, Otton will continue to be considered to start on every fantasy roster each week.
Should you consider trading for the tight end if he’s already rostered by one of your league mates?
It’s something I would truly consider. If your team has a hole at the TE position and is sufficient in other positions, you have to see if Otton’s owner in your league understands the value he holds moving forward.
How Truly Valuable Is Otton?
My belief is that the current consensus on how the rest of his season will play out doesn’t have enough hype around Cade Otton’s name. You were able to clearly see that he was a large part of the game plan against Baltimore and Atlanta, with both down-the-field targets, paired up with a few screens and short routes.
The core of Otton’s fantasy value lies in his red zone targets and touchdown success. Last week against Atlanta, you were able to see the confident and methodical passes by Mayfield to Otton that resulted in his two touchdown game. The low, quick throws on both touchdowns is something that is practiced and you can tell this QB-TE duo is putting in the necessary work to obtain that long-term success.
Obviously, the success of a team’s receiving option generally falls into the hands of the quarterback. Baker Mayfield has been off to one of the hottest starts in the NFL and doesn’t look to be slowing down after his offense lost two key targets. Leading the league in touchdown passes and second in yards, Mayfield will have to start showing regression in his performance before I stop starting his receiving options in fantasy.
Do What You Can To Acquire Otton
After further review, the Bucs’ tight end is officially a must-start option in fantasy until further notice. Since the departure of Evans and Godwin, Otton has been the team’s top receiving option, even gaining more targets than the upcoming receivers on the roster. His role in this offense has evolved and he should continue to see plays drawn up in his favor, as well as an uptick in touchdown catches.
Although it isn’t a flashy name like Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta, Otton will surely end the season amongst the likes of the league’s top tight ends as far as fantasy score and touchdown totals go. We’ll see how not only Otton continues to be a solid receiving option, but how these other Buccaneers receivers can evolve as well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)
Monday, November 4, 8:15 p.m. ET
Arrowhead Stadium (capacity: 76,416)
Kansas City, Missouri
Television: ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN2 (ManningCast)
TV Broadcast Team: Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Erin Andrews (reporter)
Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station
Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente
Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst)
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