2026 Week 5 Fantasy Football Breaking News: Bucs Elevate Easton Stick for Thursday Night
Baker Mayfield's thumb injury keeps him out again, putting rookie Jalon Daniels under center with Stick as his backup.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers elevated quarterback Easton Stick and safety J.J. Roberts from the practice squad ahead of Thursday night's game against the Cowboys, according to ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports). Both players are eligible to suit up tonight.
The bigger fantasy story here isn't Stick — it's what his elevation confirms: Baker Mayfield will miss at least one more game after dislocating his right thumb against the Vikings in Week 3. Rookie Jalon Daniels is set to make his second NFL start. Stick slots in as the emergency backup, not the starter.
Easton Stick
Stick is the backup, not the play. He's on your radar only as a desperation streamer if Daniels goes down in-game tonight — and even then, ProFootballTalk notes Stick has appeared in just six career games with four starts, completing 111 of 174 passes for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He does have familiarity with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's system, having worked with him in Atlanta last season. But as long as Daniels stays upright, Stick has no fantasy value.
The real question for Bucs skill-position players is how Daniels performs in his second start against a Cowboys defense. ProFootballTalk doesn't specify Mayfield's exact return timeline beyond "at least one more game," so dynasty managers should monitor that closely before making any moves around Tampa Bay's offense.
Data: real stats via Sleeper, projections via FantasyPros.