The Buccaneers’ once-deep receiving corps suddenly has a hole. Mike Evans’ move to San Francisco marked the end of an era in Tampa Bay, where Evans dominated for the better part of a decade. What impact will his departure have on the fantasy value of the Buccaneers’ remaining starting receivers?
The deep receiving corps is tough on fantasy managers, so this is good news for those who like predictable production. (Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love predictable production?) Chris Godwin is the biggest winner. He was already starting to surpass Evans in 2024 before injuries hampered his playing time. This carried over into last season. His relative value hasn’t been lower since 2018. Assuming his WR ADP isn’t in the top 20 (a safe bet), Godwin will be a must-draft trade.
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Emeka Egbuka also has nowhere to go but up. The 2025 first-round pick was dominant for much of the first half of the season, racking up nearly 700 receiving yards and six scores. Coaches are more likely to remember his second-half collapse. But that was mostly due to Godwin returning in Week 12 after missing most of the season, followed by Evans returning in Week 15 after missing most of the season. So, of course, Egbuka will regress once everyone is healthy again. In a leaner passing attack, Egbuka should get more rhythm as a potential secondary alpha. If his WR ADP isn’t in the top 28, he’ll be a must-get — though I doubt the market will put him ahead of Godwin.
TE Cade Otton, meanwhile, is the quintessential situational fantasy star. Orton often stepped up when his WR teammates were injured, thanks in large part to a huge jump in targets. Orton will continue to be the fringe anchor as long as Godwin and Egbuka are in the ring. But in best-ball or very deep leagues, he’ll be a must-draft TE for those who would be wise to bet that Godwin and Egbuka may not start all 17 games.
This article originally appeared on The Touchdown: The fantasy impact on Buccaneers receivers after Mike Evans leaves in 2025
