For the first seven weeks of 2024, Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin was a key piece of the Buccaneers offense that ranked third in total passing yards.
The 29-year-old receiver fractured his ankle in Week 7 and missed the rest of the season; now Godwin is expected to miss around 5 games at the beginning of 2025 as he get back to full strength.
With Godwin sidelined, Bucs WR Mike Evans will lead the WR room, looking to extend his streak of 1,000 yard seasons.
Last year, QB Baker Mayfield was left extremely thin at wide receiver; the Bucs used a first-round pick on WR Emeka Egbuka in effort to change that.
With Godwin activated from the PUP list, things are trending in the right direction — although the Bucs will be without 2024 rookie WR Jalen McMillan (neck) for the first half of the season.
Godwin will not play in Week 1, but the Bucs are in good hands at WR with Evans and Egbuka until he returns.
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How Long is Chris Godwin Out For?
All signs point towards Godwin sitting out of the Bucs' Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Todd Bowles spoke about Godwin’s availability, saying the ninth-year receiver should return “anywhere from Week 2 to Week 5."
However, it looks more likely that he will be toward the end of that timeline.
Godwin can safely be put in fantasy football managers' IR spots, but the uncertainty of his exact return isn't ideal. And even when he does return, after a severe ankle injury that sidelined him for a year, can he be the same player he was in 2024?
Chris Godwin Fantasy Football Outlook 2025
It may be a risk to take Godwin early in fantasy football drafts without clarity on his injury status. But fortune favors the bold.
Last year, he was on pace for a massive season before his Week 7 season-ending ankle injury. If he kept that pace for all 17 games, Godwin would have finished 2024 with 119 receptions, 1,397 yards, and 11.9 TDs — all of which would have been career highs.
It’s hard to justify him at his current ADP of WR44, that risk that could pay off if he returns to the field earlier than expected and plays at the same level as 2024.
For the time being, fantasy football owners should look elsewhere on the Buccaneers roster.
Evans is the clear Bucs WR1 and ranked WR12 in our rankings. The 11-year veteran has averaged 130 targets per year over his career; now, with Godwin out that target share is more secure than ever to start 2025.
Then we have the rookie Emeka Egbuka at being drafted at WR39. The 22-year-old is young, healthy, speedy, and primarily a slot receiver — everything the Bucs are looking for with Godwin sidelined. Egbuka made his mark with a touchdown in the preseason, and he will start next to Evans in Week 1.
Tampa Bay has allowed Baker Mayfield to sling the ball like he never has before in his career. Mayfield is coming off a season with career highs in completions, attempts, passing yards, and touchdowns.
With Mayfield under center, Egbuka will have every opportunity to have a massive rookie season, even after Godwin returns.
Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka Projection: 58.5 Receiving Yards
Evans' 71.5 receiving yards projection on PrizePicks NFL DFS game is the highest among the Bucs WRs for the Week 1 opener in Atlanta.
But with Godwin out, Egbuka is right behind him, as he'll start and take over the majority of the slot receiver snaps.
Egbuka started for three seasons at Ohio State, with two 1,000-yard seasons; he should be ready to immediately step into this starting role in Tampa.
Looking back at his 1,000-yard season in 2022, Egbuka had more than 57 receiving yards in 10 games; in 2025, he did reached that number nine times playing next to Jeremiah Smith.
In 2024, Mayfield averaged over 250 yards and three TDs per game in the two matchups against the Falcons. In both games, the Bucs had at least two receivers with 58+ yards.
The Falcons defense ranked 25th in expected points added per dropback in 2024 — a plus matchup for the Bucs passing game on paper.
No matter how things shake out with the Bucs WRs in 2025, you can make your 2025 fantasy football picks to win real money on PrizePicks real money fantasy game.
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