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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been busy as the league year opens. Just minutes after inking EDGE Hasson Reddick to a one-year deal, the team locked down their own receiver, Chris Godwin, with a new contract to keep him in Tampa. What can fantasy managers expect from Chris Godwin in 2025?
Contract Terms
The Buccaneers gave Godwin a three-year, $66 million contract with $44 million guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport.
Fantasy Impact
Godwin returns to the Bucs after an ankle injury cut short what could have been a memorable 2024. He only played seven games, recording 50 receptions for 506 yards and five touchdowns. Godwin ranked as the WR2 in fantasy scoring over that span. He would dislocate his ankle at the end of his Week 7 game with the Ravens, leaving us all wondering what might have been.
Just measuring his pace, Godwin averaged seven catches, 82 yards, and .71 touchdowns per game. Over a 17-game season, that would've been 119 catches, 1,397 yards, and 12 touchdowns, all of which would have been career highs for Godwin. Those numbers would have also been top-3 in the league in every category.
Godwin returns to an offense that will now bring back almost all of its offensive weapons from last season. The Buccaneers were top-5 in completions, yards, and passing touchdowns, despite being the tenth-ranked team in passing attempts. They were also the fourth-best scoring team overall in the NFL last year, all without Godwin for the second half of the season.
Godwin just turned 29 years old, and there seemed to be an outside chance he could've returned for the playoffs last season. He didn't, but there have been no setbacks in his recovery, and Godwin should be ready for Week 1 in 2025. He was a top-15 fantasy receiver in 2023 and was pacing as a top-5 receiver in 2024. If healthy, Godwin will be a tremendous fantasy asset in 2025.
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Fantasy Fallout
Two players stepped up for fantasy managers in Godwin's absence: rookie WR Jalen McMillan and TE Cade Otton. Over the first seven weeks, neither was very valuable for fantasy managers. Otton was the 12th-ranked tight end, and McMillan wasn't even in the Top 100 among wide receivers. After losing Godwin, both helped carry the load.
Otton was a top-10 tight end before his own Week 15 injury. McMillan stepped up when the team was without Godwin and Otton, scoring seven touchdowns in the season's final five games. McMillan was a top-10 receiver in fantasy over that stretch. But can either of them produce when Godwin is healthy?
Godwin and Mike Evans will be at the top of the pecking order. Evans is getting older, but he finished as a top-15 receiver last season and kept his 1,000-yard streak alive. While Godwin was healthy, Evans was still in the top 15 for fantasy, so there is no reason to count him out in 2025. With Godwin and Evans commanding about 16 targets per game and the Bucs throwing it 33 times per game, that leaves 17 targets for everyone else. Throw in the fact that Tampa Bay threw to their running backs third-most in the league last year, and you have a grim picture for a breakout from either Otton or McMillan without another injury to open things up.
While not great for Otton or McMillan, all of this combines to be great news for Baker Mayfield. He was a top-5 quarterback in fantasy last season, putting up the best numbers of his career. He was a top-5 fantasy quarterback last season, posting career-best numbers. With Godwin back and quality depth behind him, Mayfield should again lead one of the league's most productive offenses.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
Chris Godwin returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, signing a three-year deal worth $66 million. Godwin was on an electric pace before his injury last year and should be good to go for the Buccaneers in 2025.
Be sure to follow Ryan Weisse and Footballguys on X to stay up-to-date on fantasy football news this offseason.
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