Yahoo Sports Buccaneers vs. Bills injury report, fantasy outlook for Thursday Night Football
Week 8 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night with the Buffalo Bills (4-3) hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3). Both teams come into Thursday's game after close losses to divisional foes in Week 7.
Both teams are also stocked with fantasy football starters on the short week. Per FantasyData, Bills quarterback Josh Allen's the top scorer at the position and overall in standard scoring leagues so far this season. Buffalo's top wide receiver Stefon Diggs is second among wide receivers in standard scoring.
On the other side, Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans is a top-15 scorer at the position in standard scoring. Tampa Bay's defense/special teams is among the top half of the league but far off from Buffalo in second.
As always with Thursday night games, injuries play a big role this week with a shorter break than usual after Sunday's games.
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NFL injuries Week 8: Buccaneers at Bills latest injury report
Bills TE Quintin Morris (ankle) did not practice Wednesday and is out
Bills TE Dawson Knox (wrist) did not practice Wednesday and is out
Bills LB Baylon Spector (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday and is out
Bills DT Jordan Phillips (back) was practiced Wednesday
Bills DT Ed Oliver (toe) was limited in practice Wednesday and is questionable
Bills OLB Von Miller (rest/knee) was practiced Wednesday
Bills CB Kaiir Elam (ankle) practiced Wednesday
Bills OT Spencer Brown (knee) practiced Wednesday
Bills LB Terrel Bernard (knee) practiced Wednesday
Bills QB Josh Allen (shoulder) practiced Wednesday
Buccaneers G Matt Feiler (knee) did not practice Wednesday and is out
Buccaneers S Kaevon Merriweather (ankle) did not practice Wednesday and is out
Buccaneers DT Vita Vea (groin) did not practice Wednesday and is questionable
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (knee) was practiced Wednesday and is questionable
Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin (neck) was practiced Wednesday and is questionable
Buccaneers RB Chase Edmunds (knee) practiced Wednesday
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Fantasy Football Week 8: Bills fantasy updates, outlook
Bills QB Josh Allen
Allen's the top scorer in fantasy football in 2023. His slow start in Week 1 against the New York Jets proved to be a one-off as he's scored at least three touchdowns in four of the Bills' seven games.
The Buccaneers defense's been a bend-but-don't-break unit this season. They've allowed 102 points, fourth-fewest in the league. The defense has also notched 13 total turnovers, second-best in the league, and leads the league in opponent drives ending in turnovers. He's too reliable to sit and could rack up yards but may have trouble finding the end zone or staying turnover-free this week.
Bills RB James Cook
Damien Harris' injury against the Giants in Week 6 opened up more opportunity for Cook in the Bills' backfield. He's 13th in standard fantasy scoring this season and fresh off one of his better performances of the year against the Patriots (102 total yards and a touchdown). He could find it tough against the Buccaneers' defense as well. He's scored just two total touchdowns in 2023 and the Buccaneers have allowed just three rushing touchdowns in six games. Yardage-wise, the Buccaneers have allowed one 100-yard rusher this season in D'Andre Swift in Week 3.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs
Diggs' crossed 100 yards receiving five times in seven games this season. He's one of the most reliable wide receivers in fantasy and is fresh off a six-catch, 58-yard performance against New England. He scored his sixth touchdown of the season in the loss as well. The Buccaneers have allowed the sixth-most passing yards to opposing quarterbacks so Diggs will likely see his typical volume once again.
Bills TE Dalton Kincaid
The rookie saw a jump in targets with Dawson Knox out of the lineup against the Patriots. Knox is likely out again this week so Kincaid will get a larger share of targets again. But the Buccaneers defense is allowing just four fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in standard scoring. No tight end has scored on Tampa Bay so far in 2023.
Bills D/ST
The Bills' defense is one of the top units in the league and in fantasy this season. They're a solid choice this week, too, as the Tampa Bay's offense is middle-of-the-pack passing and second-worst in yards per carry on the ground. The Bills are second in the NFL in sacks with 25 but the Buccaneers have kept a clean pocket with just eight sacks allowed. There may be fewer splash plays than normal on offer for the Bills defense.
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Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
Mayfield's nursing a knee injury but expects to play Thursday on the road. He'll be up against a tough Bills defense that's forced the fourth-most turnovers this season. Opposing quarterbacks have managed just six passing touchdowns in seven games. The Bills get after quarterbacks and could make it hard for Mayfield to get going.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White
White had a rough outing against the Falcons last week to the tune of just 34 yards rushing, but he added 65 yards receiving on six catches. The Bills are in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards allowed and have given up an average of 17 points per game to opposing running backs in standard scoring. White could be in for a good game especially given the recent injuries to the Bills defense.
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans
Evans had one of his best games of the season against the Falcons in Week 7. Eight catches, 82 yards, and a touchdown gave him his second-best fantasy total of the year. The Bills defense has given up an average of 18 points per week to opposing wide receivers. Evans has four touchdowns to Godwin's zero through six games played. He could be in for a good game.
Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin
Godwin's on the injury report but coach Todd Bowles says the wideout is fine. He and Evans have the same number of targets (49) and Godwin has more receptions. Godwin will likely have more receptions again this week and could be a solid play in half- or full-PPR leagues.
Buccaneers TE Cade Otton
The Bills defense is very strong against opposing tight ends so far in 2023. But the Patriots' tight ends had great success last week with six catches, 83 yards, and one touchdown combined. The injury to Bills linebacker Matt Milano may open things up for Otton but the majority of the targets will likely go to Godwin, Evans, and White.
Buccaneers D/ST
The Buccaneers face one of the most potent offenses in the league this season in Week 8. The Bills rank third in points and fifth in yards. Even in a struggle against the Patriots last week, the offense still managed 25 points. This is a tough spot for the Buccaneers defense.
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Where to watch Buccaneers at Bills
Kickoff at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York is set for 8:15 p.m., ET, Thursday.
The game will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and on the local CBS affiliate WIVB for fans in Buffalo.
Where to watch: Click here for information on an Amazon Prime Video subscription
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bills-Buccaneers Thursday night football injury report, fantasy news
