Sterling

Shepard

Shepard and Culp headline the Bucs’ healthy scratch list for Week 16. With a fully healthy wide receiver group and Cade Otton back in the lineup, neither are needed against the Panthers. There are no injury inactives for the Bucs.

He got in full sessions on both Thursday and Friday. Shepard would retain some low-end PPR scam juice if Chris Godwin remains sidelined this weekend.

Shepard and OT Tristan Wirfs popped up on the injury report with shoulder injuries on Wednesday. The Bucs held a walk-through, so practice designations were estimates, but still important to note. Shepard has a role as long as Chris Godwin (fibula) remains out, while Wirfs is the team’s franchise left tackle. Neither are in danger of missing Week 12 yet, barring setbacks later in the week.

Shepard was tied for second on the team in targets and led the team in receiving yards. Much of his work was done on third-and-long, where he was able to find soft spots in the Bills’ overly soft zone defense. Shepard has stepped into a bigger role with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin injured, but it hasn’t led to much fantasy value.

Shepard is now an afterthought, with Tez Johnson having assumed a larger role, though QB Baker Mayfield did give Shepard one, albeit errant, opportunity to make a play in the end zone. The Buccaneers’ quarterback looked the veteran wide receiver’s way from the Saints’ one-yard line but the pass was inaccurate and Saints CB Kool-Aid McKinstry nearly intercepted it. Shepard does not need to be in starting lineups following his team’s Week 9 bye.

The 36-yard strike that Shepard had in the fourth quarter amounted to more yards than the veteran receiver had in either Week 4 or Week 5. More of a zone-buster at this stage of his career, he would seem to be a tough fit in Week 7’s matchup against the aggressive Lions. Then again, he also might be the most veteran receiver left in the room if rehabs go poorly in the run-up to Monday night. Tampa’s injury report leaves the whole situation as something that’s hard to forecast so far out.

Godwin has been a DNP all week with a fibula inury that comes a week after he returned from the fractured fibula he suffered in 2024. Back-to-back DNPs to open the week served as the early sign that he would miss Week 6’s game against the Niners, but Fowler’s report suggests the veteran receiver will officially be ruled out before the weekend. We’ll check back in once the Buccaneers give word on Godwin’s availability, but his absence would give a slight boost to Sterling Shepard’s fantasy stock for those in deep leagues in need of a dart throw.

Shepard was quiet for most of the day, but he did haul in a crucial 11-yard touchdown to tie the game at 35 with just over a minute left in the game. With Chris Godwin back and Tez Johnson emerging, Shepard can be ignored in most fantasy leagues, but he’s been a solid real-life receiver for the Bucs.

Shepard was listed as a DNP for Wednesday’s walkthrough but returned for two full practices to close the week. It was just a maintenance day for the veteran wideout. With Chris Godwin back in the lineup last week, Shepard’s role was reduced and he was targeted just four times. He is nothing more than a WR5/6 heading into Week 5.

Shepard joined a long list of Bucs players not practicing on Wednesday with a foot issue. The veteran has been a small cog in the Bucs’ offense, though with Mike Evans’ hamstring injury keeping him sidelined, Shepard was in line for more snaps. A potential Shepard absence could mean even more opportunities for Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin come Sunday against the Seahawks.