Buccaneers-Bears DFS Picks: Best Value Plays, NFL Week 9

Week 9’s Sunday action concludes with an NFC battle between the (6-2) Bears and the (3-5) Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. Chicago will feature in its third straight primetime game, this time hosting the NFC South side looking to pick up its third straight victory after a 16-0 win over the Falcons last week. The Bears took down the reigning Super Bowl Champions on Monday evening, and now look to make it four straight wins on Sunday night.

Here are the best DFS picks for Sunday night’s Buccaneers vs. Bears showdown. Be sure to check out our NFL betting trends page for data and odds on every game.

Buccaneers vs. Bears DFS Picks

Pos	Player	Matchup	FPPG	Salary
MVP	👑 Colston Loveland	TB @ CHI	9.4	$11,700
FLEX	D’Andre Swift	TB @ CHI	19.5	$10,000
FLEX	Cairo Santos	TB @ CHI	9.3	$5,400
FLEX	Chris Godwin Jr.	TB @ CHI	6.6	$6,400
FLEX	Baker Mayfield	TB @ CHI	9.6	$9,600
FLEX	Rome Odunze	TB @ CHI	9.2	$6,800

👑 Colston Loveland, CHI/TE/MVP ($11,700)

After a slow start to his sophomore season, Bears TE Colston Loveland has ramped up his production as the season has gone on, with QB Caleb Williams back from his hamstring injury. In the three games since Williams’ return, Loveland leads the Bears with 28 targets, catching 20 of them for 199 yards and 2 TDs. His 10 red-zone targets rank second on the team this season, and he could be the primary target against a Tampa Bay secondary that does so well at limiting WRs. The Buccaneers defense ranks ninth, conceding just under 206 passing yards per game, though TEs have been the one position to find some success against them.

Tampa Bay has given up the fourth-most TDs (5) to TEs this season and ranks in the bottom half in TE targets, receptions, and receiving yards allowed. The Buccaneers are also giving up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position, and Loveland has a good chance to secure his third straight game with over 60 receiving yards. He has 6-plus receptions in three straight games, scoring a TD in two of them. While Williams and the WR group may struggle on the perimeter, Loveland should be able to attack his mismatches over the middle and add another strong performance to this stretch.

D’Andre Swift, CHI/RB ($10,00)

D’Andre Swift enters Week 9 leading the league with 10 TDs after scoring a whopping three against the Seahawks last week. The veteran back struggled yardage-wise against Seattle, who ranked first in the league against the run, and now faces the new No. 1 run defense in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers are allowing a league-low 80.0 rushing yards per game, though that will not scare Ben Johnson and a Bears offense that has been so good at establishing the run. Chicago’s 150.8 rushing yards per game rank second behind only Tampa Bay’s mark, and the Bears showed last week they will stick with the run even when it is not as effective as they would like.

Swift finished last week with a season-high 27 carries but just 69 yards on the ground. While inefficient, his red-zone touches are what make him so valuable. His 38 red-zone touches rank first on the Bears by a wide margin and should not falter even if fellow RB Kyle Monangai returns from his four-game absence. His scoring form elevates his price tag, but he should be able to match it with the production we have seen in recent weeks.

Cairo Santos, CHI/K ($5,400)

After a relatively poor start to the season, Chicago K Cairo Santos is slowly rounding into form and playing a key role for one of the league’s best offenses. The Bears’ leading scorer has been perfect on extra points, and his FG% is creeping up after some bad early misses. He has knocked down six of his last eight attempts after going a perfect 2-of-2 last week.

He could be asked to make a few more attempts from outside given how well the Buccaneers limit red-zone appearances. They have allowed just 20 red-zone appearances through eight weeks, with opponents averaging 2.25 field goal attempts per game against them. Santos remains perfect on extra points (25-of-25) and should get a few of those each game with Chicago averaging just under 27 points per contest.

Chris Godwin Jr., TMB/WR ($6,400)

Once considered one of the league’s best WRs, Chris Godwin has had a fairly quiet year in his 10th season as a pro. The 30-year-old had a rare no-catch game last week in the rain-soaked contest against the Falcons and is averaging 3.4 receptions on just over 4 targets per game. Godwin could step into more of a lead role with fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka questionable for Sunday evening, and Tampa Bay may elect to throw a bit more than usual against a stout Bears run defense.

While RB Bucky Irving has spearheaded the league’s best rushing attack this season, Chicago is allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game (86.8) and will force QB Baker Mayfield to make plays through the air, which has not always looked good this season. Tampa Bay is averaging a league-low 131.4 passing yards per game but could attack this Bears secondary far more effectively than their run defense. Chicago ranks 14th, allowing 219.0 passing yards per game, and Godwin may finally see more targets and show he can still be a playmaker on the outside.

Baker Mayfield, TMB/QB ($9,600)

We touched on Mayfield in the previous section, and the Buccaneers will need far better play from him if they want any chance at the playoffs. After being considered an MVP candidate at one point last season, the former Heisman winner has been unable to find a rhythm this year amid injuries and sloppy play. The weather played a big role in his 0-completion game last week, and the 31-year-old has just 64 passing yards over his last two games, partly due to the blowout win the week before.

Sunday night could be the game where Mayfield is finally forced to return to last season’s form. The Bears offense is too strong to ignore and will require a competent performance from a quarterback who has taken a backseat to the run game during his team’s win streak. The former first-round pick has just two games over 200 yards this season but will be called upon for another to keep pace with Chicago, particularly if Irving and company cannot get going on the ground. Chicago should stack the box to stop Tampa Bay’s run game and test Mayfield, who has the chance to step up on the primetime stage.

Rome Odunze, CHI/WR ($6,800)

We round out our Sunday evening lineup with Chicago WR Rome Odunze, who is sometimes forgotten in this offense but has been sneakily effective when called upon. The former first-round pick has posted back-to-back games with 4 receptions, combining for 156 yards. His 17.4% target share ranks third on the team, but his targets per route run have climbed steadily over the last three weeks, reaching 22% last week. His team-high 15.1-yard average depth of target means he is usually deep downfield whenever he catches the ball.

The Buccaneers’ secondary has been fairly strong this season but will be occupied with Williams’ top two targets, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland. Odunze has benefited from the attention the other playmakers command and has delivered big plays when called upon, especially downfield. Tampa Bay’s blitz-heavy style should give him some one-on-one coverage deep, and we are backing the speedy wideout to keep making plays in a game that could turn into a primetime shootout.

Photo Credit: REUTERS