The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will once head into the 2024 NFL season with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin atop their depth chart at wide receiver.
Can Baker Mayfield keep both Evans and Godwin fantasy relevant this season, or could it be tough sledding for the two veterans? Additionally, could rookie Jalen McMillan be a sleeper fantasy prospect in 2024, or does he not offer enough return on investment right now?
Mike Evans’ Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 252.4 (176.9 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 75.5
- Receiving Yards: 1118.1
- Receiving TDs: 10.7
There were concerns last season about the viability of this passing game with Baker Mayfield taking over for Tom Brady, but those worries were dismissed in a hurry after Evans scored in three straight games to open last season.
He never really slowed down, clearing 1,000 receiving yards for the 10th straight season (an NFL record for consecutive seasons to open a career) and bouncing back from “only” six scores in 2022 with 13 in 2023.
Evans is a player I have more exposure to in best ball formats than redraft. The numbers always seem to be there in the end, but he never ranks too highly in the consistency rankings, and I don’t think that changes this season.
Evans had eight games last season with four or fewer catches, and in weeks in which he doesn’t score, you’re losing ground in your matchup (7.6 PPR points per game). He is currently coming off draft boards in the second half of Round 3 (WR17), putting him ahead of the Cooper Kupp/DJ Moore/DeVonta Smith/DK Metcalf tier of receiver, and I think that’s about right.
For me, Evans is a situational buy. If you’ve locked in a strong production floor through two rounds, go for it. If you have some week-to-week variance already on your roster, I’d be more likely to take players in Kupp/Moore that I project to be more consistent, albeit with less upside.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Chris Godwin’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 207.8 (120.5 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 87.3
- Receiving Yards: 961.9
- Receiving TDs: 3.1
It could be easy to view Godwin’s 2023 season as a disappointment after finishing as a top-20 WR for two straight seasons. Yet, his plummet all the way to WR29 last year may be a bit overblown.
Godwin caught just 83 passes for 1,024 yards on 130 targets last year. All three of those marks ranked inside the top 25 amongst wide receivers. It was really Godwin’s two touchdowns — which was his lowest mark since his rookie year in 2017 — that felt like the biggest disappointment last season.
Godwin’s ADP is currently sitting at No. 77 overall (WR36 off the board). This puts him in the same range as Calvin Ridley, Jayden Reed, and Hollywood Brown.
If you’re looking for a player with a reliable floor who could realistically slide back inside the top 20 at the position with some positive TD regression, then Godwin feels like the pick.
Even in a down year, Godwin was still a top-30 fantasy WR with 130 targets, 80+ receptions, and 1,000+ yards receiving. Those aren’t easy numbers to hit.
Godwin’s age shouldn’t concern anyone about a steep decline in production coming this year. He represents a very nice draft-day value at a reduced price in 2024.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Jalen McMillan’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 111.0 (55.7 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 44.4
- Receiving Yards: 488.5
- Receiving TDs: 3.0
At 6’1”, McMillan is the type of third-round pick who can make big plays the moment he steps onto an NFL field and hone his skills with time. We were reminded last season via Mike Evans’ season that Baker Mayfield can pay off such a skill set, though it’s likely that McMillan would need an injury to Evans to see enough targets to matter.
The future is brighter than the present. I have my concerns about Mayfield repeating what he did last season, and he’d have to actually move forward in order to support a third receiver (Trey Palmer was third amongst Bucs WRs in receiving yards last season with 385 yards in 17 games).
At the moment, Malachi Corley (NYJ) and Jalen Tolbert (DAL) are WR3s who play in offenses I’d rather bet on at the very end of drafts.
– Soppe