Baker Mayfield Week 7 Outlook - Browns at Buccaneers

By Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros), Wed, Oct 17th 2018, 1:23pm EDT

It's been a bit of a bumpy road for the rookie, who was shoved into a first-team role without any reps, though that excuse will wear out here relatively soon, as he's now had three weeks preparing as the starter. But here's the thing... opposite of Mitch Trubisky, Mayfield's production doesn't match what you see on the field. He's poised in the pocket, maneuvers well, and throws with precision, though his receivers haven't helped him out to this point. His wide receivers have a 9.8 drop percentage, which ranks as the most in the NFL. In fact, there's just two other quarterbacks whose receivers have more than a 6.6 percent drop rate. Mayfield tweaked his ankle while running out of bounds last week, but he's reportedly going to be fine. The Bucs might be the cure for his ailments, as they've now allowed five straight quarterbacks to throw for at least 334 yards, and 4-of-5 to throw for at least three touchdowns. It forced them to fire defensive coordinator Mike Smith last week, promoting linebackers coach Mark Duffner to be the interim coordinator. There was definitely issues in the scheme, but the talent is just not there for the Bucs to succeed, as they have a weak trio of cornerbacks (that includes two rookies) who are now dealing with injuries and are down to their second-string safety after Chris Conte went to injured reserve. Provided Mayfield is healthy heading into this game, he should be started as a low-end QB1.