The NFL season is in full swing. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 4 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin did not practice fully the entire week due to an injury he’s been nursing since last season. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Chris Godwin Playing Week 4?
Godwin has been recovering from offseason ankle surgery that required a lengthy rehabilitation process. He’s been slowly ramping up his practice participation level throughout the past month as the team manages his return to full health.
Before the season began, it was reported that Godwin was likely to miss the first few weeks of the season but would not be placed on injured reserve. That decision seemed strange at the time, as placing him on IR would have freed up a valuable roster spot for Tampa Bay.
However, the Buccaneers wanted Godwin to be able to practice with the team rather than rehabilitate separately. This approach has allowed him to maintain timing with Baker Mayfield and stay integrated with the offensive system during his recovery.
The team will continue to manage Godwin’s practice workload as part of his maintenance routine. As we saw this past week, Godwin was given Thursday off as a precautionary measure to ensure he doesn’t overexert himself during the ramp-up process.
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Despite the Thursday absence, Godwin practiced in full on both Wednesday and Friday, demonstrating that his ankle is responding well to the increased workload. His ability to handle two full practice sessions represents significant progress in his recovery timeline.
The final injury report designated him questionable, which initially caused some concern among fantasy managers about his availability for such an important game.
However, according to Adam Schefter, Godwin is expected to make his season debut today against Philadelphia. This represents the news that Buccaneers fans and fantasy managers have been waiting to hear since the summer.
Godwin’s return comes at a crucial time for Tampa Bay. They face their toughest opponent yet while dealing with other injuries in their receiving corps. His presence should provide a significant boost to an offense that has relied heavily on other players during his absence.
Godwin’s Fantasy Football Outlook
The Bucs activated Chris Godwin off the PUP list on August 21 (Week 7, fractured ankle), but he didn’t return to practice until early September.
This, of course, was baked into the draft-day price tag on the 29-year-old. Unless something changes drastically, this will be the sixth time in seven years that Godwin has missed multiple games. But there is hope that the cautious rehab approach will result in him peaking at the right time for both the Bucs and his loyal fantasy managers.
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Tampa Bay has a well-positioned Week 9 bye, which could allow Godwin to test his body to its limits early on, knowing that an off week isn’t too far off.
In any event, you drafted him with the hope that he’d be a 1,000-yard pace player for a seventh-straight season with consistent volume for you when he hits the field, and we have no real reason to think he won’t be.
His lack of touchdowns was a concern heading into last season, but five of his 50 catches in 2021 resulted in scores, giving us hope that we are looking at a WR2 down the stretch.
The Bucs close the season with about as favorable a schedule as anyone in the league, giving him an even better chance to impact your fantasy season massively, even if he’s not doing that in the first month.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst
