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    Vita Vea ‘out’ with ‘back injury’

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    TB Nose Tackle #50
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    Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Vita Vea is out with a back injury.

    Vea this week requested a trade after contract talks with the Tampa front office stalled. That he’s now sidelined with a back injury could be another way of Vea “holding in” until he gets a new deal from the Bucs or the team works out a trade for the star nose tackle. Vea, who has earned two Pro Bowl honors and has been one of the league’s top nose tackle since entering the league in 2018, could fit with any number of contending teams if the Bucs are willing to trade him for draft capital.
Purdy, 49ers headline this week's Fanta Five
John Fanta delivers his Fanta Five after an action-packed NFL Week 5 slate; San Francisco 49ers headline the list after an impressive win against the Seattle Seahawks.

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  • TB Nose Tackle #50
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    Vea also gets a $6 million pay bump for the 2026 NFL season. He was previously set to make $18 million this year, bringing his new salary up to $24 million. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported last week that Vea was seeking an extension, placing him in the top defensive tackle tier, which currently sits around $38 million annually. It looks like the two sides compromised to get a deal done. Vea ranked in the top three on the team in quarterback pressures (51) and sacks (four) last year. Garafolo clarified in a follow-up segment that the $30 million extension includes this season’s pay increase. Vea will play for $24 million in 2027.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    Garafolo says that the Buccaneers remain steadfast in their position that Vea is not available. The team has also apparently kept the lines of communication open with Vea regarding a potential new deal, although “a deal is not imminent.” Vea is set to make roughly $18 million in the final year of his contract. Garafolo notes that the top of the defensive tackle market is now around $38 million annually, and Vea believes his production qualifies him for a contract extension in that tier.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    Vea was looking for a new contract this offseason and the Bucs have not met his demands. In response, Vea requested a trade and is not currently participating in training camp. The team is calling it a back injury. We’re comfortable assuming it’s a bank issue. Vea can’t realistically hold out during the regular season, meaning he’s going to play football this year, one way or another. Whether that’s in Tampa and on his current contract remains to be seen.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    Fowler does acknowledge that Vea’s camp has “pretty heavy” trade interest and also notes that Vea has felt his contract has been outdated “for a long time.” Fowler adds that in his opinion it doesn’t seem like the Bucs really tried to reach an extension with Vea, at least as compared to how they acted with Baker Mayfield. It’s hard to make a trade with a team that doesn’t want to make a trade, so we’ll see how this unfolds but it’s far from certain that the Bucs will actually make good on Vea’s trade request.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    This comes on the heels of Vea’s absence from minicamp as the two sides were locked in negotiations. The evident impasse ultimately led to the eight-year veteran requesting a trade. Vea has earned two Pro Bowl honors and has been one of the league’s top nose tackle since entering the league for the Buccaneers with the team’s 2018 first-round selection. Losing Vea would be a significant hurdle for the Buccaneer to clear considering so much of what they are able to do defensively revolves around his ability to clog the middle of the defensive line.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    Vea is due $17 million in the final year of his four-year contract, considerably lower than other top defensive big men around the league. It’s a situation to monitor as the season draws near, with the veteran nose tackle clearly looking for a new deal. Whether the saga carries into camp and the preseason remains to be seen, but it is possible Vea wants to put pen to paper before retaking the field.
  • TB Running Back #7
    The Buccaneers are without three of their top players this week. While Irving and Godwin continue to miss games, long-time No. 1 WR Mike Evans (collarbone/concussion) was recently placed on injured reserve. Rookie WR Emeka Egbuka will continue to operate as a fantasy WR1, while fellow rookie WR Tez Johnson can be started as a high-upside WR3/FLEX. Reddick’s absence is a plus for the Saints’ offense. His 27 quarterback pressures lead all Buccaneers defenders by three. Fortunately, DT Vita Vea (foot) is active.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    He DNPed each of the final two practices of the week after not being listed on the report on Wednesday. It’s not great news for the Buccaneers that he didn’t find a limited status today, and we’d probably subjectively put him on the pessimistic side of questionable. Alvin Kamara could have a much easier task in Week 8 if Vea is ruled out.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    Vea has been a stalwart defender throughout his career and is a big reason for the teams continued successes against the run, making his likely presence when the Buccaneers take the field in Week 1 against the Falcons a significant boost to their defense. It seems a full practice Friday was enough for coaches to confidently start Vea to begin the season.
  • TB Nose Tackle #50
    He did get in a full practice on Friday, which would seem to put him in position to play after missing Wednesday and Thursday with the foot designation. Vea remains a load on the interior and, should he not play, his absence would be great news for Bijan Robinson in Week 1.

Rotoworld

  • LA Wide Receiver #17
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    Davante Adams caught 5-of-7 targets for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills.

    Adams cashed in on a corner fade from four yards out in the second quarter and ran a beautiful route on a double move slant from five yards out for his second score in the fourth quarter, proving that he remains an elite red zone weapon for an offense that has now attempted 51 or more passes in three straight games. Adams is back to modest target rates following the Week 4 return of Puka Nacua but remains a weekly WR2 due to his red zone acumen, which remains true ahead of a much more forgiving matchup against the Cardinals in Week 6.
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    Tyler Higbee caught 5-of-6 targets for 83 yards in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills.

    Higbee continued to operate as the primary pass-catching tight end against the Bills, something that must please fantasy managers considering Colby Parkinson returned from a one-game absence. Furthermore, the team carried only three tight ends on the active game-day roster after being at either four or five through the first month of the 2026 season. Higbee is a middling TE2 in fantasy circles ahead of a juicy matchup against the divisional rival Cardinals in Week 6.
  • LA Wide Receiver #12
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    Puka Nacua caught 17-of-24 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills, adding nine yards on two carries.

    Nacua operated as the primary option through the air for a Rams team that attempted more than 50 passes for the third straight game. The veteran alpha was mostly confined to short-area work, something that could be attributed to the groin injury that continues to have his name on the injury report in practice, but that would not keep Nacua from returning another elite WR1 performance. Nacua was also inches away from padding his stat line further after failing to come down with what would have been a 51-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half. Nacua and the Rams fall to 2-3 ahead of a Week 6 divisional showdown against the Cardinals, where he will remain one of the top fantasy assets in the league.
  • LA Running Back #24
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    Blake Corum rushed five times for 19 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills, adding 53 yards on three receptions.

    Corum provided a much needed spark in relief of lead back Kyren Williams, contributing three clutch receptions that kept drives alive in addition to a third quarter touchdown. That said, his modest volume continued while Williams turned in a third straight game with 20 or more opportunities, including 28 total targets in that stretch. Corum remains a top fantasy handcuff but is unlikely to return useful fantasy weeks for as long as Williams is healthy.
  • LA Running Back #23
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    Kyren Williams rushed 16 times for 49 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Bills, adding 27 yards on six receptions.

    Williams has yet to see more than the 16 carries he saw against the Bills this season but the team’s recent pass-heavy nature has left the veteran lead back with six or more receptions in three straight games, including 27 total targets in that span. The elite-level aerial volume made it three consecutive games with 20 or more opportunities for Williams, who continues to return RB1 fantasy weeks while playing in one of the league’s top offenses. Williams remains a middling RB1 ahead of a Week 6 divisional showdown against the Cardinals at home.
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    Matthew Stafford completed 40-of-54 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 37-34, Week 5 loss to the Bills.

    It was the third consecutive game in which Stafford attempted 51 passes or more in what has become the most voluminous passing offense in the league. The two powerhouses felt each other out throughout the first half as only 20 combined points per scored before the break. Things would get aggressive for the final 30 minutes as seven combined touchdowns were scored on nine second half possessions, four of which were accounted for by the Rams. Stafford directed a whopping 24 targets toward alpha wide receiver Puka Nacua, who set a career high with 17 receptions in a short-area role. The reigning MVP returned an instant classic performance against the 2024 MVP, ultimately coming up short in overtime following a blocked field goal attempt from Harrison Mevis. The Rams fall to 2-3 ahead of a home matchup against the more forgiving Cardinals in Week 6. Stafford is once again a fantasy QB1 in that matchup.
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    Dalton Kincaid caught 1-of-2 targets for seven yards in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams.

    The Bills clearly came into this one intent on establishing the run, attempting 37 rushes to just 19 Josh Allen pass attempts in a game played without both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. Kincaid has now seen three or fewer targets in each of his last three games after erupting for 225 yards through the air in the first two weeks. The ceiling was never in question, but fantasy managers have to be reeling after three consecutive down performances for the enigmatic tight end. Kincaid remains an upside TE1 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders.
  • BUF Wide Receiver #0
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    Keon Coleman caught 1-of-2 targets for seven yards and a touchdown in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams.

    Coleman was largely erased by the lockdown corner play of the Rams but had a receiving line also heavily influenced by a ground-heavy game plan from a Bills team that attempted only 19 passes in almost 70 minutes of football. It was quite the letdown fantasy performance for managers looking to take advantage of the absences of both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. Coleman is a borderline FLEX play in Week 6 against the Raiders, pending the status of Moore.
  • BUF Wide Receiver #10
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    Khalil Shakir caught all three targets for 80 yards in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams.

    Shakir’s modest target total was primarily a product of a ground-heavy approach from the Bills, who were playing without both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. His quiet fantasy outing was quickly remedied through a 57-yard, catch-and-run reception on the team’s second possession of overtime to set up the game-winning, Tyler Bass field goal. Shakir remains a shaky fantasy bet ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders.
  • BUF Running Back #4
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    James Cook rushed 25 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams, adding seven yards on one reception.

    Cook’s elite rushing line was overshadowed by two fumbles, the second of which was a lost fumble on the team’s first possession of overtime, placing the Rams in position to complete the comeback and steal away the victory. A blocked field goal on what would have been the game-winning kick breathed new life into the Bills, who demonstrated confidence in their lead back by throwing him right back out there on the following possession to eventually win the game. The 26 touches go down as a season high for the veteran back, who found paint for the fourth consecutive game in the thrilling overtime win. Cook remains a top-tier RB1 for fantasy purposes ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders in Las Vegas.