Calijah Kancey Injury Takes Key Pass Rusher Out of Bucs Lineup

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Kancey's season ends with no sacks, no QB hits, and just one tackle. So this might seem like a low-impact loss for the Tampa Bay defense. But it's not.

Kancey ranked third among Bucs in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (21) over the past two seasons despite missing eight games over that span. He also led the team with 29 QB hits.

That also came despite Kancey opening each season with a multi-week calf injury.

Another measure of Kancey's worth: There doesn't appear to be a direct replacement. Greg Gaines and Elijah Roberts will factor into the replacement plan.

Gaines is a 29-year-old, seventh-year vet who hasn't tallied more than 4.5 sacks in a pro season -- and totaled just 2 sacks across his first two years with the Bucs.

Roberts is a fifth-round rookie with a little more juice. He tallied 17.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss at SMU the past two years. And his 4.78-second 40 time at 285 pounds delivered an 80th-percentile speed score among edge players at the Combine.

The team defense loses sack upside with Kancey out but generally stands as a matchup play only for fantasy purposes anyway.

Dynasty Impact

Roberts will need a lot more playing time to have a shot at redraft relevance in 2025, but he's an interesting stash for deeper dynasty leagues.

Kancey will still be just 25 when next season begins, and his pec tear isn't likely to affect him beyond this season. That makes him a hold, and a stash if someone in your league dumps him.

Of course, if your IDP lineup doesn't run particularly deep, he's far from a must-hold. Kancey's sack-reliant profile won't fit everywhere.