As we inch toward the new season, the ever-changing NFL landscape has player fantasy values constantly on the move. Whether you’re used to the dynasty platform or are still learning the rules, let’s dive into the latest dynasty fantasy football value of Chris Godwin.
Chris Godwin’s Dynasty Outlook and Value
2022 was a tumultuous year for Godwin. He made a miraculous comeback from a late-season ACL tear to play in Week 1 but promptly strained his hamstring and missed the next two weeks.
After he returned, Godwin didn’t quite look like himself. He openly admitted his knee, while healthy enough to play, was nowhere near 100%. This is common among players returning from torn ACLs. It’s typically the year after the year they return that they’re back to pre-injury form. In the words of Larry David, Godwin’s pre-injury form was pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Godwin had an old-school trajectory to his breakout. He barely met the receiving yards threshold for future success as a rookie, catching 34 passes for 525 yards. As a sophomore, he posted WR3 numbers but wasn’t overly impactful. Then, in his third season, Godwin exploded to an overall WR2 finish, averaging a career-best 19.2 ppg.
MORE: Dynasty Rankings 2023 — Top Fantasy Options at Wide Receiver
Since that epic 2019 season, Godwin hasn’t come close to replicating those numbers. But it’s not like he’s been bad. Godwin averaged 15.9 ppg in 2020, 17.3 ppg in 2021, and 14.9 ppg last season. He’s been consistently in that high-WR2/low-WR1 range.
Heading into 2023, Godwin has many of the same concerns as Mike Evans. Brady finally retired, except for real this time. So, who will quarterback this team in 2022? Will they sign a veteran and take one more shot at a title? Or will they trade their older players and blow it up? The primary differences are Godwin’s age and contract situation.
Chris Godwin’s Fantasy Ranking
Godwin is still only 27 years old. That gives him at least half a decade of high-end, potentially elite production left. Dynasty managers should not look to move Godwin because of his age.
Godwin is also signed through the 2024 season. The only scenario where he isn’t a Buccaneer through the end of his deal is if he gets traded, which, admittedly, is a possibility.
Fortunately, for fantasy managers, Godwin is too talented to fail. Regardless of whether he stays in Tampa, he will be productive. Of course, we’d prefer he plays with as good of a quarterback as possible. Right now, that’s the biggest unknown. Whether he’s kept or traded, we do not know who his quarterback is going to be.
Nevertheless, Godwin strikes me as someone who is likely undervalued in dynasty circles. Dynasty managers tend to overvalue age. It matters when a receiver is over 30. It doesn’t matter when a receiver is 27 as compared to 24.
Either way, you have no reason to believe he’ll fall off a cliff anytime within the next couple of years. When I play dynasty, that’s all I care about. The NFL changes far too much far too quickly to try and predict what the landscape will look like beyond that.
Godwin is a mid-WR2 with legitimate top-five upside if things break right. We currently have him at WR19 (No. 55 overall) in our dynasty Superflex rankings.
Even after the 2023 season, when Godwin will be 28 years old, he has the talent to be considered a dynasty WR1 if he ends up with the right situation.
In his second year removed from tearing his ACL, Godwin should be even healthier. 2023 may be a down year if the team rolls with Kyle Trask or a journeyman veteran, but Godwin has plenty of football left. He’s someone I want on my dynasty rosters for the foreseeable future and would be interested in selecting in dynasty startup drafts.