Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Baker Mayfield

Thursday, March 19, 8:47 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield already delivered subpar results during the 2025 season, and moving forward, he'll also be without one of his favorite targets. Mike Evans departed for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, causing Mayfield to lose a perennial 1,000-yard threat with major touchdown upside. The veteran quarterback was the overall QB10 in 2023 and QB4 in 2024, but he fell to QB12 with 27 total touchdowns, 14 turnovers, and 36 sacks last year. We could still see Mayfield rank as a top-12 quarterback in 2026, especially with Zac Robinson replacing Josh Grizzard as the Bucs' offensive coordinator. However, it's going to be tougher for him to routinely carve up defenses without Evans at his disposal. Fortunately for Mayfield, the Bucs have other key pass-catching weapons. Chris Godwin Jr. remains a productive veteran, and Emeka Egbuka flashed glimpses of being a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2025. If Godwin can stay healthy for a full season and Egbuka can take a substantial second-year leap, Tampa Bay may be able to counteract the effect of Evans' departure, vaulting Mayfield back into the top-10 range. There's a wide range of possible outcomes for the former first-round pick, and depending on the asking price, he could be an appealing buy-low target in dynasty leagues this offseason.