The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face uncertainty with their wide receiver situation as they prepare for Monday night’s primetime matchup against the Detroit Lions. Mike Evans seemed to be trending toward a return from his hamstring injury, but wound up being a gametime decision. For fantasy football managers who rolled the dice on Evans, is he trending toward playing and who are some pivot options if he can’t go?
Is Mike Evans Playing Tonight?
Update: Evans is good to go for tonight and will play.
Evans originally sustained his hamstring strain during the fourth quarter of Tampa Bay’s Week 3 victory over the New York Jets. The injury happened while running a route when the 32-year-old receiver suddenly stopped and grabbed his left leg before limping to the sideline.​
His frustration was immediately visible as he threw his helmet and punched a cooler before heading to the locker room for evaluation. An MRI later confirmed a mild strain in his left hamstring, though the severity proved enough to sideline him for an extended period.​
Head coach Todd Bowles initially characterized the injury as a “hamstring tweak” following the Jets game. However, the recovery process has been more challenging than initially anticipated. Evans has already missed three complete games through the team’s Week 6 victory over San Francisco.​
Thursday brought the breakthrough that Buccaneers fans have been waiting for, as Evans returned to practice in a limited capacity for the first time since sustaining the injury. This marked the team’s first practice of the week, making his presence an extremely positive sign for his potential availability.​
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Friday was a planned rest day for Evans, with FOX Sports’ Greg Auman reporting that his absence “is part of his weekly routine and doesn’t represent any kind of setback with his hamstring.”
Saturday brought continued progress as Evans got in a full practice session, maintaining his progression toward a potential Monday night return. The Bucs officially listed him as questionable for the contest, describing him as a gametime decision.​
According to Auman, “I think he’s done what they wanted him to do, but I doubt they’re so confident as to take him off the injury report entirely. The expectation is certainly that he’ll play”. This suggests the team is optimistic about his chances despite the questionable designation.
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you have Egbuka in your Flex, the top replacement option is Cade Otton. Available in 60% of Yahoo leagues, Otton would be the No. 2 option in the passing game, at worst.
Last year, Otton had an elite three-game stretch with 18.0, 29.1, and 21.7 fantasy points during games in which Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both missed. He could find himself in a similar spot this week if both Egbuka and Evans are out. But even if just one of them misses, Otton is a safe bet for 10 fantasy points.
Tez Johnson, Kameron Johnson, Sterling Shepard, WRs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Unless both Evans and Egbuka are out, it’s probably best to avoid the rest of the Bucs wide receivers. That’s not to say one of Tez Johnson, Kameron Johnson, or Sterling Shepard won’t produce. It’s just…good luck figuring out which one.
Last week, both Johnsons caught a touchdown, but otherwise did not do much. Tez has six receptions on the season and Kameron is a rookie UDFA from Barton, which is definitely a real school that we all knew existed before right now.
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Shepard is 32 years old and still managed just a 52% snap share last week in a game where the Bucs’ top three receivers were pretty much not playing.
Nevertheless, if you are desperate, one of these guys is probably going to hit.
A.J. Barner, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Available in over 80% of Yahoo leagues, A.J. Barner has posted double-digit fantasy points in three straight games and four of his last five.
Sam Darnold never targets his running backs (Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnett have the lowest running back target share in the league, by far). If he’s not throwing to Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Cooper Kupp, he’s probably looking for his tight end.
The matchup is not great, but Barner won’t get you zero, which is all you can ask for in a last-minute replacement.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
Here is another guy who won’t get you zero. Dalton Schultz is not moving any needles, but his lowest weekly output is 5.8 fantasy points. Obviously, that’s not great and is not going to fill the void left by Egbuka or Evans, but it’s something.
The Seahawks allow the fifth-most schedule adjusted fantasy points to tight ends. With Christian Kirk out, Schultz could end up being the No. 2 option behind Nico Collins.
Desperation Options Include Jayden Higgins, Xavier Hutchinson, Isaac TeSlaa, and Tory Horton
If you’re in a deeper league and all the previous options are unavailable, these are your true Hail Mary plays.
Jayden Higgins hasn’t run more than 18 routes in a game this season, nor has he seen a 60% snap share yet. But maybe there’s a post-bye rookie bump coming.
Xavier Hutchinson has been serving as the Houston Texans’ WR2. His snap share hovers between 60% and 70% every week. While he’s yet to catch more than three passes or exceed 30 yards in a game, he did score twice when the Texans last played.
Isaac TeSlaa has a 3% target share on the season. He didn’t catch a pass last week. But he did see a season-high 47% snap share and ran a season-high 19 routes. If you are truly desperate, at the very least, he is on the field in what should be a high-scoring game.
Tory Horton has three touchdowns on the season. If he doesn’t score, you might get zero. But maybe you get lucky.
