Scott Smith: Yaya Diaby
My original thought was to take nose tackle Vita Vea, who is having a fine season and will be going against a backup center with Erik McCoy recently landing on injured reserve. However, after Vea missed the last two practices of the week with his recurring foot issue, that just seemed to risky. Therefore, I switched to the man I'm hoping can rattle Spencer Rattler's cage on Sunday, Yaya Diaby.
Diaby is starting to get on a roll. He has three sacks over the Bucs' last two games and is now the team leader in 2025 with 4.0. Tampa Bay's defense as a whole has turned up the heat in the last two games, with a total of 10 sacks against the 49ers and Lions after it had a total of 10 sacks across its first five outings. Diaby is tied for 13th among all NFL defenders with his 27 QB pressures on the season, and his average get-off at the snap of 0.76 seconds is tied for second among all players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps. That's the same get-off speed as Myles Garrett! Yes, that Myles Garrett.
New Orleans' offensive line has done a decent job of protecting Rattler, ranking 14th in the NFL with a 6.28% sacks-allowed-per-pass-play rate, though some of that can be attributed to the young quarterback's impressive mobility. Diaby will primarily be working against tackles Kelvin Banks and Taliese Fuaga, both top-14 overall picks in the last two years; obviously there is a lot of talent there but perhaps they could still be prone to youthful mistakes. That's at least is what I'm hoping happens on Sunday. Diaby keeps his hot streak rolling, the Bucs' defense makes things tough on Rattler in his 14th career start and the team leaves New Orleans with a much-needed 'W.'
Brianna Dix: Sean Tucker
I had also thought about going with Yaya Diaby, and Anthony Nelson seemed too similar to Scott's selection, so I am going to go with a pick on the offensive side of the ball with running back Sean Tucker. Last season, Tucker became the catalyst in the Buccaneers' 51-27 beatdown of the Saints at the Superdome, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week Six recognition by the league. He accounted for 192 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns. He led a 277-yard ground attack with 136 yards on 14 carries, averaging 9.7 yards per tote. Tucker recorded the highest rushing total of any NFL player in Week Six and added 56 yards on three receptions. He was also the only player in the NFC to score on both a run and a catch that week, and the first Buccaneer to do so since Leonard Fournette in 2021.
At Syracuse, Tucker's specialty was generating yards on flat routes and the versatile running back set the tone against the divisional foe in 2024, making an impact on counters and screens. He has a superlative escape hatch in his rushes to elude defenders and runs with outstanding contact balance. Tucker varies his tempo with subtle maneuvers to bypass linebackers and he quickly works upfield after sticking his foot in the ground. He only has 11 carries for 34 yards in 2025 but I am manifesting a breakout game for No. 44. With Bucky Irving sidelined due to foot and shoulder injuries, Tucker could see an increased workload opposite Rachaad White to try and establish the run on early downs against the Saints. New Orleans has the 24th-ranked run defense and Tucker will look to exploit the unit on Sunday. Also, it is Tucker's birthday on Saturday so what better way to celebrate than with a stellar performance in Week Eight?