Easton Stick Fantasy News Explained: Buccaneers Elevation for the Packers Game
News as of
As of October 4, 2026: Easton Stick is a quarterback on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad who was elevated for the Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers, as reported by NBC ProFootballTalk, NFL Trade Rumors and the team itself. For fantasy purposes, Stick is an emergency depth option rather than a player to start, because the Buccaneers are lined up to start rookie quarterback Jalen Daniels instead.
What happened with Easton Stick and the Buccaneers?
On October 3, 2026, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers elevated quarterback Easton Stick from the practice squad. The team's own announcement, headlined "Bucs Elevate QB Easton Stick, LB Caden Fordham for Packers Game," was followed within hours by confirmations from NFL Trade Rumors and NBC ProFootballTalk, and the move also appeared in Pro Football Rumors' roundup of minor transactions. Linebacker Caden Fordham was elevated in the same transaction.
The timing is tied directly to the quarterback situation in Tampa Bay. NBC ProFootballTalk reported that Baker Mayfield is out a minimum of three weeks with a thumb dislocation on his throwing hand, an injury he suffered on a Sunday and that was set for an MRI. With Mayfield unavailable, the Buccaneers needed a second healthy quarterback in the building, and the elevation of Stick from the practice squad filled that gap.
Why isn't Easton Stick starting against the Packers?
The Buccaneers have already settled on a different plan at quarterback. Acme Packing Company, covering the matchup from the Green Bay Packers side, reported that the Packers will face rookie quarterback Jalen Daniels for the Buccaneers in Week 4. That reporting places Daniels in the starting role, with Stick elevated behind him as insurance rather than as the planned starter.
Depth moves like this one are common when a starter goes down, and the surrounding roster activity shows how Tampa Bay reshuffled. In the days before the elevation, NFL Trade Rumors and Pro Football Rumors reported that the Buccaneers were signing quarterback Brett Rypien to the practice squad, giving the team another arm alongside Stick. NBC ProFootballTalk also reported that the Buccaneers placed wide receiver Jalen McMillan on injured reserve, one of several roster moves in Tampa Bay that week.
Should you pick up Easton Stick in fantasy football?
There is no fantasy case for adding Stick based on this news. An elevation from the practice squad is a short-term roster mechanism, and every report in this news cycle points to Jalen Daniels taking the starts while Baker Mayfield recovers. Stick's situation is that of a third option whose activation covers an emergency, not a change in the depth chart that fantasy managers can exploit.
If you roster Baker Mayfield, plan around a minimum three-week absence and treat Daniels as the quarterback actually playing the snaps. Streaming decisions for the Packers game should center on Daniels and the Tampa Bay pass catchers, not on the elevated backup. Yahoo Sports NFL ranked every backup quarterback after this wave of injuries across the league, which is the more useful resource if your league is deep enough that reserve quarterbacks matter.
For context on the player himself: Stick is a 31-year-old quarterback, selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. None of the current reporting suggests his role extends beyond emergency depth for Tampa Bay while Mayfield is out.
Common questions
Was Easton Stick named the Buccaneers starting quarterback?
- No. The Buccaneers elevated Stick from the practice squad for depth, but Acme Packing Company reported that rookie Jalen Daniels is the quarterback the Green Bay Packers will face in Week 4. Stick's elevation is a backup move tied to Baker Mayfield's thumb injury.
How long is Baker Mayfield out?
- Baker Mayfield is out a minimum of three weeks with a thumb dislocation on his throwing hand, according to NBC ProFootballTalk. The injury occurred on a Sunday and Mayfield was scheduled for an MRI.
Does the Easton Stick elevation matter for daily fantasy lineups?
- Barely. Stick is behind rookie Jalen Daniels on the depth chart for the Packers game, so he carries no realistic lineup relevance. Managers should focus on Daniels and the Tampa Bay skill players, while noting that wide receiver Jalen McMillan was placed on injured reserve.
Who else did the Buccaneers move at quarterback?
- Alongside elevating Stick, the Buccaneers signed quarterback Brett Rypien to the practice squad, per NFL Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors and NBC ProFootballTalk. The pair gives Tampa Bay depth while Mayfield recovers.