Top Tampa Bay Buccaneers players worth drafting in Fantasy Football this year
By Brad Smith
Mike Evans, WR
2023 Stats: 17 starts, 79 receptions, 1,255 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns, 15.9 yards per catch
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: WR11, Tier 3, #33 ADP
2024 Preview: Since entering the league in 2014, there hasn't been a more productive receiver than Evans over the last decade. In 154 games, Evans has caught 762 passes for 11,680 receiving yards and 94 touchdowns in 154 games while catching over 100 yards in 36 games -- a franchise record.
Even with Mayfield making his debut season in Tampa, Evans was still just as impressive, going over the 1,200-yard mark and adding a league-leading 13 touchdown grabs to finish 2023 as the WR4 overall in fantasy. In 2024, Evans is set as a high-end WR2 option with the current projection of being selected in the early-to-mid-Round three range.
Chris Godwin, WR
2023 Stats: 17 starts, 83 receptions, 1,024 receiving yards, two touchdowns, 12.3 yards per catch
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: WR41, Tier 5, #74 ADP
2024 Preview: While Evans gets plenty of attention as the Bucs' No. 1 receiver, Godwin has been as good of a No. 2 receiver in the last few years. In 104 career games (77 starts), Godwin has caught 529 passes for 6,690 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and 12.6 yards per reception. In addition, Godwin has eclipsed the 1,000 receiving-yard mark in the last three seasons, and has done so in four of his six seasons in the league.
Like Evans, Godwin quickly built a strong rapport with Mayfield in 2023, notching a team-high 83 receptions for his fourth 1,000-yard season, while posting 50+ yards in 12 of 17 games. The obvious concern for Godwin is only scoring twice, but is expected to have positive regression out of the slot in 2024. Adding in that 2024 is a contract year, and Godwin is a strong pick at wide receiver in the Round 6-7 range, especially in PPR formats.
Jalen McMillan, WR
2023 Stats (College): 11 starts, 45 receptions, 559 receiving yards, five touchdowns, 12.4 yards per catch
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: WR96, Tier 8, #292 ADP
2024 Preview: Outside of Evans and Godwin, the Bucs have been consistently searching for a true No. 3 complement receiver. In the draft, Tampa Bay added McMillan with their second third-round pick, who figures to play on the outside with Evans and lets Godwin move into the slot. Last season, the Washington receiver earned All-Pac 12 Second Team honors after catching 45 passes for over 550 yards and five touchdown grabs.
McMillan's 2023 season came after 2024 first-round pick Rome Oduzne took the No. 1 receiver spot. The season before, McMillan caught 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine TDs in 2022, showcasing his star-level potential in the NFL. While McMillan isn't going to be drafted in redrafts, the rookie receiver is worth considering in round three of rookie-only drafts, with increased value if Evans or Godwin suffers injuries.
Sterling Shepard, WR
2023 Stats: 15 games, two starts, 10 receptions, 57 yards, one touchdown, 5.7 yards per catch
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: WR246, Tier 13, N/A ADP
2024 Preview: While Shepard has never had a 1,000-yard season, the eight-year veteran churned out 560+ yards in each of his first five seasons in the NFL, including a career-high 872-yard season in 2018. Injuries have played a big role in Shepard's lack of production, as the former Oklahoma Sooner has missed 26 games over the past three seasons.
Still, Tampa Bay signed Shepard to a one-year deal to reunite the receiver with Mayfield, who both played at Oklahoma. With the release of Deven Thompkins earlier this month, Shepard slots in as the likely No. 4 receiver alongside 2023 fifth-round pick Trey Palmer. Neither Shepard nor Palmer has immediate fantasy value, but would move up the depth chart if Evans, Godwin, or McMillan were to miss time.
Cade Otton , TE
2023 Stats: 17 starts, 47 receptions, 455 receiving yards, four touchdowns, 9.7 yards per catch
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: TE20, Tier 4, #172 ADP
2024 Preview: Similar to White, Otton enjoyed a breakout campaign in year two after a modest rookie season. Not only do Otton's 47 catches, 455 yards, and four touchdowns represent career-highs, but the former fourth-round pick started all 17 games and was Mayfield's primary safety blanket over the middle of the field.
Even so, Otton scored just the 24th-most fantasy points per game among TEs. A big factor in Otton's struggle to establish fantasy consistency was his lack of volume, getting just under four targets per game, ranking 27th among TEs in targets per game. That makes Otton unrosterable for redraft teams in 2024.
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