Buccaneers' Fantasy Football Outlook: Which Receivers will be Weekly Starters? | Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and More

Let's do another fantasy football outlook, this time checking out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

We have looked at the Steelers, Packers, Titans, Panthers, Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Commanders, Texans, Cardinals, Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, 49ers, Chargers, Eagles, Ravens, Seahawks and Bills so far. We will cover other teams in the days and weeks to come, so keep checking back.

Wish a real fantasy expert could break down your team, not just spit out generic advice? Now you can - get a personalized Team Breakdown, tailored for your exact league.

Baker Mayfield Fantasy Outlook

Mayfield is locked in as the Bucs' starting quarterback after back-to-back strong seasons as the team's leader.

He was QB4 overall last season - he also was fourth on a per-game basis. Mayfield was the team's top fantasy player by a long shot. So far, Mayfield is QB7 and is going around pick 69 on average.

I like that draft slot, because it gives him room to exceed expectations and be a draft steal again. There's a chance he regresses too, but I'd be fine taking Mayfield as your weekly starting quarterback near that ADP.

Even if you get Mayfield, you're probably still taking a second wideout - to protect yourself in case of an injury, or massive regression. If you miss on Mayfield, you definitely should be drafting two quarterbacks, because I think Mayfield is the lowest-drafted QB on the ADP list who should be viewed as a weekly starting option.

He threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season. Mayfield could regress if he doesn't throw as many touchdowns or for as many yards, but a decrease in picks could offset that.

Mayfield ran for an additional 378 yards and three scores. He's not a dual-threat guy, but that's a lot of tacked on fantasy points.

We'll see if Mayfield can deliver again, this time under a new offensive coordinator. I'm high on Mayfield again and think he could deliver another big fantasy season, so I'm a fan of drafting him.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

Bucky Irving is set to lead the Bucs' backfield in 2025. Rachaad White is now the top backup, while Sean Tucker is another depth option.

Irving is RB10 and is going around pick 21 so far. He's one of my favorite backs to target in mock drafts, and I think he's going to star this season.

Over 17 games in his rookie season, Irving went for 1,514 total yards and eight touchdowns, and that was in just three starts. He rushed for 1,122 yards and all of his scores, while adding 392 receiving yards on 47 grabs and 52 targets.

Irving should get even more touches this season, and with an increase in touchdowns, I think he's going to outperform his ADP. The only thing that could hold him back is injuries, and with White still around to lessen the workload a bit, I'm not all that concerned about Irving's injury likelihood.

I'm fine taking Irving later in the second round, and would be fine if he was my top fantasy back. Him as your RB2 and drafting him in round 3 is already an even bigger draft steal in my eyes.

White is RB44 and is going around pick 124 on average. Tucker is RB82 and going around pick 279.

White has been the team's starter over the past couple seasons, but now is likely to be phased out over time. He posted 1,539 total yards and nine scores in 2023, but regressed to 1,006 total yards over 16 games and 15 starts last season - he still scored nine times to retain fantasy relevance.

I think White is still going to be pretty involved offensively for the Bucs, especially with some of the wideout injuries the team is dealing with. There will be times where White is a flex starter this season, and for that reason, I like drafting him around that ADP.

I wouldn't go much earlier than that, but he's proven to be a top-end back in the past, so having him in case Irving gets injured makes plenty of sense. I don't mind taking White if you landed Irving early.

Tucker played in all 17 games last season, but only got 59 touches. He had some big games and finished with 417 yards and three touchdowns.

He's unlikely to record that much production if Irving and White are healthy all season. A change of scenery could bump his fantasy value up quite a bit, but he's more a stash-and-hope draft pick in really deep leagues, and your hope is that both backs ahead of him get injured.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Tampa Bay maybe have the most stacked wide receiver room in the entire league, but injuries are changing that. Mike Evans is the leader in that room still, with Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan being the other projected starters, but being injured. Rookie Emeka Egbuka will step into a larger role, and rookie Tez Johnson, Ryan Miller, Trey Palmer and Sterling Shepard are some other depth options.

Evans is WR18 and is going around pick 43 on average so far.

All he did last season was post another 1,000-plus yard season. In 14 games, he had 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns across 74 catches and 110 targets. He's gone over 1,000 yards in all 11 years of his career, and has at least 11 touchdowns in four of the past five seasons.

He should lead the wideout room again this season, and I like him near his ADP. There's a chance he outperforms that mark again, especially if he stays healthy all season.

Getting him as your second fantasy wideout is a good move, and he'd be a stellar fantasy WR3.

Godwin is WR40 and is going around pick 87 on average. Egbuka is WR46 and going near pick 101. McMillan is WR70 and sitting near pick 204, but that's dropped after his injury.

Godwin played in seven games last season before suffering a big-time injury. It was just reported that he's being activated off the physically unable to perform list, but that he won't play immediately in the regular season. October is the estimated return, so week 5 or later.

If you can afford to stash a player for several weeks and feel confident in your other receivers, Godwin is a player to gamble on. He had 576 yards and five scores over seven games a year ago, and he could go back to being the team's No. 2 option when he's back on the field.

There's risk involved in taking him too, and I'm guessing his ADP will fall now that we know his fate. That will make it even easier to take the gamble on him. Don't bail on Godwin just because he's going to miss a few games.

McMillan had 504 yards and eight scores over 13 games as a rookie last year. He's expected to miss the first eight weeks of the season, so you can see why his ADP is dropping.

He's worth drafting and stashing in some deeper setups, but only if it's way after his current ADP. Don't expect much out of McMillan this season, and treat him more as a lottery ticket guy.

Egbuka was the 19th overall pick in this year's draft. He joined a crowded wideout room, but now might be able to be the team's second-best option, and that could be for the whole season depending on how Godwin and McMillan bounce back from their injuries.

Egbuka's ADP is going to rise as the season nears, and I'd be all for picking him, unless his ADP gets higher than the 50th pick. He could push Evans for the best fantasy pass catcher role in Tampa Bay, and be a weekly starting option in a hurry. Get him on your team and expect big things from the rookie.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

Cade Otton is the team's top tight end. Payne Durham is there if he deals with injuries.

Otton is TE21 and is going around pick 186. He's on the rise after the news of McMillan, and will rise more now with Godwin out several weeks.

He's a better deep-league asset, but could be a streaming option until the Bucs get Godwin back. Otton will likely fizzle out after that, and especially once McMillan returns.

Over 14 games last season, Otton had 596 yards and four scores. I see that yardage regressing in 2025 with all the other pass catchers around him. At a different position, I could still see Otton carving out a decent role, so everyone needs to keep tabs on him.

I just don't see him being more than a streaming option though. He could start weekly in deeper leagues or two-TE setups, but likely won't be consistent enough for weekly standard league starts.