The NFL Players Association released its annual Rising Stars list on Tuesday and the first overall pick of this year’s draft is one of the players at the top. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is No. 1 on the list of the 10 rookies that the NFLPA projects to be future members of the Top 50 list of licensed player product sales. There is also a list of 10 players with NFL experience who have not been on the Top 50 and it is topped by Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Mendoza is followed on the list by Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, and Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain. The list of veteran players also includes Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker, Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, Bills running back James Cook, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
Development is essential for NFL players to reach their full potential. For example, the tight end position is often cited as one that takes time to develop. Not long ago, the third year for wide receivers was seen as a potential “breakthrough” year. With that individual development in mind, I’ve identified several second-year players in camp you should be targeting who can boost your fantasy squads this Fall, starting with WR1 in Tampa Bay. Emeka Egbuka is already a top-20 dynasty wide receiver, but I anticipate he’ll make a jump in Year 2. Egbuka started his rookie season scorching hot, finishing as a top-12 fantasy receiver three times over the first five weeks. A hamstring strain in Week 6 threw cold water on his hot start, and Egbuka had only one top-12 finish as a receiver for the rest of the season. Egbuka somehow finished with the second-highest fantasy points per route run (0.38) on the team — despite playing at less than 100 percent. This season, the Bucs will be without veteran receiver Mike Evans (SF) and have added third-round rookie Ted Hurst . Chris Godwin will get his share, but how long can he stay on the field? Zac Robinson has HIGH praise for Emeka Egbuka 🚀 pic.twitter.com/lHtocGz64O — Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) June 28, 2026 New offensive coordinator Zak Robinson (ATL) has compared Egbuka to Cooper Kupp , whom Robinson coached during Kupp’s historic 2021 season, when he won the receiving Triple Crown. Egbuka has always been stuck with outstanding pass catchers such as Jeremiah Smith and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at Ohio State, and then Evans. Now he’s the top option on his team and has a real chance to be a league-winner. Of all the second-year players in the NFL, Ashton Jeanty may be the player I’m most excited to see on the field again. Billed as a “Pro-Bowl talent” by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, Jeanty was a can’t-miss prospect who had a tumultuous first season. In Jeanty’s defense, many factors were going against his success as a rookie. The Raiders’ 2025 season was forgettable, with a coaching staff that had already retired mentally and an offensive line that finished dead last in Run-Block Win Rate at 62%. Despite the circumstances, Jeanty still finished as a high-end RB2, averaging 14 FPPG. He now has a new head coach in Klint Kubiak, one of the rising offensive minds in the NFL. More importantly, the Raiders also bolstered the offensive line by adding All-Pro Tyler Linderbaum (BAL). If Jeanty was able to produce average numbers in a dysfunctional offense, he should be capable of producing above-average numbers in a functional one. Cam Skattebo had an eerily similar first year to Egbuka’s, with a strong start until an injury derailed everything. Unfortunately for Skattebo, his injury was much more serious. A broken tibia with a right ankle dislocation shelved him from Week 9 through the remainder of the season. New head coach John Harbaugh (BAL) has committed to a physical run game, and further strengthened that commitment by drafting Francis Mauigoa in the first round of the draft. Fullback Patrick Ricard , who specializes in run blocking efficiency, has also arrived in New York with Harbaugh. The Jaxson Dart distraction worked! Cam Skattebo ‘s best run of his career so far! pic.twitter.com/PcRu6sRKsa — Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) September 14, 2025 Skattebo only has Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary to worry about stealing carries, which should be a non-issue. All signs point to the Arizona St. alum having a strong season; the only doubt is whether he will be fully healed from that devastating injury in 2025. Even then, he will be a hot topic as a “buy low” in the season because of his talent. Ricky Pearsall is another case of an injury ruining a rookie season. Firstly, he was shot in the chest in late August. Additionally, Pearsall sustained a PCL injury during his Week 4 matchup against Jacksonville. He went on to miss six games, but even after his return, he was never at full s
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Variance is a term thrown around quite often in fantasy football. There’s always a wide range of outcomes with each player season-to-season, whether it’s injuries, a new offensive environment or a potential breakout. Yahoo analysts Justin Boone, Matt Harmon, Joel Smyth and Scott Pianowski share their biggest wild-card player (or players) for the 2026 fantasy football season. Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season It’s easy to forget that the Bucs’ struggles last season were largely related to all the injuries on offense. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan missed significant stretches, while Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka played hurt part of the year. Even the offensive line battled injuries, which is an often-overlooked variable for fantasy production. Heading into the 2026 season, the team is much healthier, but they no longer have Evans to rely on. That means the target distribution will look a lot different moving forward. Egbuka will be trying to replicate his incredible early-season results when he averaged the third-most fantasy points per game at the position through the first five weeks. Godwin will attempt to reach 1,000 yards for the fifth time in his career. And McMillan will look to get his career back on track after a scary neck injury sidelined him after an eight-touchdown rookie season in 2024. All three Tampa wideouts are intriguing values at their current ADPs — with Egbuka and Godwin having the clearest path to top-24 WR stats and best-case scenario outcomes that could lead one of them into fantasy WR1 territory. — Justin Boone Back in 2024, rookie Brian Thomas Jr. was not just one of the best first-year wideouts; he was flat-out one of the more dynamic players at the position overall. For reasons we’ve covered extensively at this stage of human existence, Thomas was a massive letdown in Year 2. The real question for Thomas is which version is the real player? The rookie year phenom or the sophomore disappointment? Typically, I’m a “truth is somewhere in the middle” guy, but in this instance, I do think he can clear the median outcome and at least be considerably closer to what he was in 2024 than the version who played through injuries in a new offense last year. Even so, while he should be better individually in his third season, he is also in a receiver corps that’s quite crowded on paper. The Jaguars go four-deep at receiver with Thomas, Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter still destined to mix in. They also want to play more with 12 personnel after extending TE Brenton Strange and drafting Nate Boerkircher at 56th overall. That is going to create a real squeeze for targets in this room. And yet, because both of Thomas’ individual ceiling and his skill set as an X-receiver allowing him to be on the field for most of the snaps, I’m relatively convinced that if there’s a big hit in this room, Thomas is the obvious right answer. It’s just up to him to be the next version of himself and force the snap and target allocation to skew heavily in his favor. — Matt Harmon After an excruciatingly frustrating second half of the season, Irving’s ADP for the 2026 season has fallen to near RB3 territory. While the drop is justified, the upside at that range is tremendous. Believe it or not, the Buccaneers running back averaged over 20 opportunities per game last season (targets + carries), behind only the top-three scoring running backs in fantasy. He averaged RB1 numbers from the time he took over as a starter in 2024 to his 2025 injury, rare numbers to find in the fifth round. However, the concern is real. You don’t want to completely waste a pick, even if its a Round 5 selection instead of his Round 2 ADP from last season. The shoulder injury is a major red flag heading into the season, and with Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker in the building ready to take valuable work at the goal line and in the receiving game, it’s difficult to fully trust Irvin
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While the run game has seen a resurgence in both volume and efficiency in recent seasons, the NFL remains, at its heart, a passing league in the modern era. Because it is a passing league, the value of both quarterbacks and pass catchers keeps increasing. We've seen it in recent years, with an explosion in wide receiver salaries, with superstars topping $40 million in average annual value. A superstar wideout can tilt the field in the offense's favor through both his production and the attention he draws, and that has never been more valuable. But what's more valuable than one star wideout? Well, two star wideouts, obviously. With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports decided to take a look at the top wide receiver duos in the NFL. There are plenty of dual-star duos, as well as some buoyed by one mega-star who teams with another quality player to form an elite pairing. Right now, we think there is a clear-cut top two, another tier of three and then another tier of three after that. That gives us a clear-cut top eight, with the rest of the league filling in behind. In the space below, we're going to rank those top eight duos. But before we do, we also wanted to include some honorable mentions. Honorable(-ish) Mentions: Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall ( 49ers ), Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III ( Bears ), DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir ( Bills ), Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin ( Buccaneers ), Alec Pierce and Josh Downs ( Colts ), DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon ( Eagles ), Brian Thomas Jr . and Jakobi Meyers ( Jaguars ), Christian Watson and Jayden Reed ( Packers ), Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson ( Saints ), DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. ( Steelers ) This Seahawks pairing would be higher on the list if we had confidence in which of Shaheed or Cooper Kupp would actually be the No. 2 wide receiver, and that they would be able to consolidate that role while the other would slide further into the background. As it stands, it's more of a target vacuum in JSN, with a couple of guys competing for second-string targets among a host of tight ends and running backs. JSN is coming off one of the better receiver seasons in recent memory, though, so he alone is enough to power the Seahawks into the top 10 of these rankings. And I could easily see them ranking much higher next year, if Shaheed consolidates the role behind him. We've got another new duo on tap here, with both players new to New England this offseason. AJB is one of the small handful of best receivers in football when he is right, but he's also coming off a relatively down season (he averaged his fewest yards per game since 2021) and turned 29 years old June 30, so we don't know if he'll be able to be at his best. Doubs, meanwhile, has always been a bit of a better player than his numbers suggest, because he's always been in such a crowded receiver room. These two guys should give Drake Maye a duo that can really win in the intermediate areas of the field, and Brown, if he rebounds, can win both short and long and create a ton of yardage after the catch. This is yet another new duo, but it could be very exciting. Waddle remains a big-play threat both on deep passes and in terms of creating yardage with the ball in his hands due to his speed. Sutton works best as an isolated X receiver on the outside. The duo gives Bo Nix a pair of wideouts who challenge defenses in markedly different ways, but who can work a lot of the same areas of the field nonetheless. Sean Payton and Davis Webb should have a lot of fun scheming them into position to succeed. Jefferson is coming off what qualifies as a down season for him, with "only" 84 catches for 1,048 yards and two scores. Addison missed time again and caught 42 passes for 610 yards and three touchdowns. They were both hamstrung by the quarterback play of J.J. McCarthy , Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer , though, and we know they have considerably more upside than what they showed last season. Jefferson remains one of the small handful of [... truncated ...]
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about our Biggest Concerns. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Biggest Concerns here. Wide Receiver 2 is the most underrated position in football. If a team has a second wide receiver who is crazy talented and can produce at a high level, he can take that team’s offense to another level. We see it throughout the NFL and college football, and we’ve especially seen it at Ohio State. Unfortunately, this year is a little different. After Jeremiah Smith, there’s so much uncertainty at wide receiver on the Buckeyes’ roster and depth chart. That’s a big concern coming into this season. Jeremiah Smith has had a running mate at wide receiver in each of the last two seasons. This season, we don’t know who that’s going to be. Is it going to be Chris Henry Jr.? He’s really the only player Buckeyes fans probably know the most about since his recruitment was highly coveted. If Henry is that WR2, that could be a huge asset to the Buckeyes offense. But if it’s not Henry, who is that WR2 going to be? The names on the roster are ones fans may not know much about yet. It may take them time to develop connections with Julian Sayin. Then again, as we have seen over the year, plenty of wide receivers have emerged as that No. 2 behind the star. Think Carnell Tate, Emeka Egbuka , and even Marvin Harrison Jr. , just to name a few. Somebody will emerge because, well, they just will be the default? That might be a stretch. But the wide receiver pipeline at Ohio State is strong. The standard is the standard. Iron sharpens iron. These new receivers on the Buckeyes’ roster are learning from the best wide receiver in college football. That’s a huge built-in advantage. But there are still major concerns. Will one of these new wide receivers consistently be able to catch passes from Julian Sayin? Opposing defenses are going to, obviously, take Smith out of the game. Who steps up if that happens? That’s a big worry for me going into this season. Sayin has proven that he’s a really good quarterback. But he needs weapons to throw to. Smith is one, but only one. Henry could be that No. 2, and that’d be great. But there’s no guarantee he will be. Playing behind a shaky offensive line already complicates things. That means Sayin will be looking to get the ball out quickly often this season. Having one wide receiver to do that with is good. Two, now that’s a great thing to have to get the ball out quickly. It will keep defenses honest and on their toes, while also potentially neutralizing their pass rushes. Sayin isn’t going to carry the Buckeyes’ receiving corps. That’s why he needs two good receivers to throw to. The lack of a proven WR2 going into this season is a big concern for Ohio State. We have seen many emerge over the years, so that does offer hope. But there are only 12 games for one to emerge. It will be very interesting to see in Fall Camp who emerges as Jeremiah Smith’s running mate
This article explores how to leverage Average Draft Position (ADP) data from best ball platforms like Underdog to find value in dynasty startup drafts. It highlights players whose best ball ADP significantly outpaces their dynasty ADP, suggesting they are undervalued in dynasty formats. Four specific players are identified as targets, with the analysis focusing on their potential to outperform their current dynasty valuation
The article identifies bounce-back candidates for dynasty fantasy football, focusing on players poised to outperform their current value. Ladd McConkey is highlighted due to his promising rookie year, a sophomore slump attributed to team factors like Keenan Allen's presence and offensive line issues, and a hopeful outlook with a new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, and the departure of Allen. Kyler Murray is also mentioned as a player whose value was impacted by injury. The author suggests trading players like Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egbuka, or Rome Odunze to acquire McConkey
Baker Mayfield’s take on his contract situation was the juiciest bit of information to come out of his first media session of the offseason, but he also had a chance to weigh in on a significant change to the team’s receiving corps. Mike Evans left for the 49ers as a free agent and Mayfield said that there’s no way to sugarcoat that it is “disappointing to not have him back” for the 2026 season. Mayfield then pivoted to praising Chris Godwin’s leadership of a receiving corps and expressing confidence in a group that also includes Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, and third-round pick Ted Hurst. “To also have J-Mac, Chris and Emeka really, really healthy right now , feeling good — to lead those guys and just to watch the steps from Year 1 to Year 2 when it comes to Meck and Tez and watching them help Ted Hurst out as well,” Mayfield said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “There’s a lot of weapons in that room. And so when you lose a guy like that, you got to have a lot of people fill those shoes, not just one person and we have that.” If the Bucs don’t sign Mayfield to an extension ahead of the season, his performance with that group of wideouts will likely determine whether there’s an appetite for continuing the relationship in Tampa. If that appetite does not develop, the Bucs could be looking at another significant change next offseason
We’re all going to continue hearing about Justin Herbert’s potential in 2026 with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel at the helm. Chargers fans can now expect quicker-developing route concepts and schemed-in “layups” for their star quarterback who just went through an entire season having to play the position on the highest difficult setting. Former OC Greg Roman never gave Herbert a hand with anything. No matter how bad the protection was in front of him, Roman never seemed to have a shortlist of plays or concepts that could help either the offensive line or his QB. That era of Chargers football has finally come to an end and it should come as no surprise that everyone is stoked to see what this new duo can do together. So with that said, Herbert was recently named to a list that features players with 2026 stock that you should absolutely be buying. Other players on the list include Bucs wideout Emeka Egbuka (no more Mike Evans ), Eagles DeVonta Smith (no more A.J. brown ), and Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs (he needs to be their savior). Here’s what NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack had to say about Herbert and why he thinks the quarterback’s stock are only going up form here: “ Mike McDaniel is the perfect offensive coordinator to unlock Herbert’s full potential. The same way McDaniel helped Tua Tagovailoa overcome his early-career struggles to become a Pro Bowler in Miami, he could easily propel Herbert, already all-star caliber, into elite territory. It also doesn’t hurt that the Chargers signed a proven center (Tyler Biadasz), spent a second-round pick on offensive lineman (Jake Slaughter) and are getting bookends Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater back from injury. ” Even if the Chargers did not make a single change on the offensive line this offseason, the comeback of both Slater and Alt would have made a world of difference. But the Chargers DID make changes, upgrading at center while currently in the midst of finding who their duo of starting guards will be. Alt and Slater are a top-three tackle duo when healthy and both of them already fit the wide zone scheme McDaniel is implementing. There’s so many pieces to this puzzle that have come together apart from simply adding new faces who were not on the team a year ago and all of this is to say, yes, Herbert’s stock has never been higher. I would be thoroughly shocked if Herbert were to fall short of both 4,000 yards passing and/or 30 touchdown passes this upcoming season. Those things seem like the bare minimum that should be expected in 2026. But am I off base here? Are those numbers still unrealistic even with McDaniel calling the offense? What are all of your expectations or Herbert this year? Let us know all your thoughts below!
Jalen McMillan has reportedly been slightly better than teammate Emeka Egbuka during Buccaneers OTAs. While fantasy managers should temper expectations, McMillan's continued improvement could lead to a prominent role in 2026, making him a potential steal at his current ADP
For the first time since 2013, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to play a season without six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, but local media member Scott Reynolds believes the adjustment could go just fine, in part due to the versatility of third-year professional Jalen McMillan. McMillan was a fantasy league-winner down the stretch of his 2024 rookie season, and while a scary preseason neck injury limited him to only four games in 2025, he again topped 100 receiving yards in Week 17. Reynolds believes his ability to play all three receiver spots could lead to similar results across his 2026 campaign. With Zac Robinson arriving from the Falcons as the new offensive coordinator, Tampa will likely see fewer three-receiver sets after deploying 11-personnel at the league's second-highest rate in 2025, and with Emeka Egbuka unlikely to leave the field with any regularity in his second season, a potential rotation between McMillan, Chris Godwin Jr., and 2026 third-round pick Ted Hurst could make those 100-yard performances difficult to predict. As such, McMillan projects as a more useful piece in best ball formats, but at RotoBaller's dynasty WR71, there is still potential to land him well below his actual value with an opportunity for him to see a larger-than-expected workload
Taking Ricky Bobby’s dad’s advice to heart and twisting it into something for dynasty purposes: if you’re not looking a year ahead, you’re behind. It’s a little early to be thinking about the 2027 rookie class; after all, the 2026 season is still months away. But 2027 rookie picks are some of the most valuable assets in our game right now. Seriously, try trading for one in your league. Unless you’re offering a top-30 startup player, good luck prying that pick from a manager’s hands. With that in mind, I wanted to take a stab at what the first round of a 2027 dynasty rookie superflex draft might look like around this time next year. Alright, this is why dynasty managers have been trying to sell their souls for 2027 first-round picks over the last two years. Jeremiah Smith is the white whale of this draft. The kid walked into Ohio State as a true freshman and reeled in 76 catches for 1,311 yards and 15 touchdowns. He did that with Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate on the roster, both of whom were top 20 selections in their respective drafts. Jeremiah Smith 2025 Highlights. Some might say “Generational”. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/lZ4DXJA9Bj — Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) April 29, 2026 Last season was more of the same, as Smith racked up 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 scores. He is a stat machine and should be an absolute stud at the next level. He’s a prospect with a Ja’Marr Chase- or Justin Jefferson-type ceiling. Any manager who even has a realistic chance at the 1.01 should be doing whatever they can to secure that pick. You’ll either get a true generational talent or be able to flip it for a massive, roster-altering haul. If Arch Manning turns pro after the 2026 season, I’m assuming it’s because he had an impressive campaign. And if that happens, the Manning name will be too much of an allure for both NFL teams and dynasty managers alike. Manning struggled at times against elite competition in his first year as a starter, but did end the season with some solid stats: 3,163 passing yards, 399 rushing yards, with 26 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores. Obviously, he has the pedigree; he just needs to improve his processing and decision-making. If Manning does that, he’ll be a top-three pick in both the NFL Draft and superflex rookie drafts. In a surprise move, Dante Moore decided not to enter the 2026 Draft and stayed at Oregon for another season. Ballsy move, as he likely would’ve been the No. 2 overall pick behind Fernando Mendoza. Moore was uber-impressive in 2025, completing 71.8% of his throws for 3,565 yards with 30 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has a lightning-fast release and excellent ball placement at all three levels. Unfortunately, Moore is not much of a rusher, so his fantasy upside is capped. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 204 pounds, he profiles more like a C.J. Stroud than a Jayden Daniels. Tired of bad quarterback play at Auburn, Cam Coleman is headed to Texas to play with Manning. Standing at 6-foot-3, he’s your classic X receiver — and a dangerous one at that. Coleman is a major threat down the field and in the red zone thanks to his hops and ball-tracking ability. If he takes a step forward and surpasses his 708 yards and five touchdowns from last season, Coleman has a chance to be a high draft pick next April. He’ll only be 20 years old this time next year, so there’s a lengthy (and hopefully productive) career ahead of Coleman at the pro level. This kid burst onto the scene and took the SEC by storm as a sophomore last year. He had 335 total touches, rushing for 1,567 yards and chipping in 177 through the air. His 24 rushing touchdowns were third all-time in SEC history, behind only Najee Harris (25) and Derrick Henry (28). Kewan Lacy is better than every running back in the NFL Draft and he’s not even the top back in the SEC. pic.twitter.com/a0Oj9vCUsp — SEC Numbers Guy (@secnumbersguy) April 23, 2026 At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, KewanLacy isn’t the biggest back — so,
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After racking up nearly 2,000 receiving yards over his final two collegiate seasons at Georgia State, wide receiver Ted Hurst was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurst is thought of as a true X receiver, which could make him the long-term replacement for former Bucs wideout Mike Evans. However, Hurst's immediate path to playing time could be blocked off in Tampa Bay. Entering training camp, Buccaneers wide receivers Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson could all be ahead of Hurst on the team's depth chart. If there's a positive for fantasy managers to take away from Hurst landing in Tampa Bay, it's that the organization has done an excellent job of developing young receivers in recent seasons. Hurst carries some upside in dynasty leagues, but dynasty managers should temper their expectations for his 2026 production following the NFL Draft
Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has talked about the heightened expectations that are coming his way with Mike Evans now on the 49ers and the team’s offensive coordinator thinks he’s up to taking more on his shoulders. Zac Robinson used to coach Cooper Kupp with the Rams and he said on Tuesday that Egbuka has a very similar approach “just in terms of the way his brain works with the game of football and his natural instincts.” Robinson believes that will make it easy for Egbuka to slot into the offense that is being installed this offseason. “He doesn’t have to change a thing ,” Robinson said, via the team’s website. “I think he’s come back, he’s refreshed. He played a ton of snaps and obviously played a lot of college football leading into that season and played a ton of snaps [there]. I think Mek’s just going to take huge, huge strides. He knows the new terminology and is asking great questions. Mek’s just got to be Mek and do his thing and he’ll be just fine.” Robinson said that the plan is for Egbuka to settle into the flanker role in the team’s base offense, but that his football instincts make it easy to move him around in order to exploit matchups and maximize the production of the passing game this fall
New Bucs OC Zac Robinson said Tuesday that Egbuka will focus on the Z receiver position in 2026 after moving around the formation as a rookie last season, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin missing a combined 17 regular-season games to injuries last season, Egbuka was forced into multiple roles as a rookie. Godwin split time between the slot and out wide on his 428 offensive snaps, but he figures to play mostly a slot role in three-wide sets under Robinson, who talked up third-round rookie Ted Hurst (6-foot-4, 206 pounds) as a prototypical X receiver Tuesday. After Egbuka got off to a hot start last season, he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 and dealt with the issue for multiple weeks despite not missing a contest. Full health and a dedicated position should help him return to form in his second campaign
Rookie third-round wide receiver Ted Hurst has been labeled a "true X" receiver by new Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. With Mike Evans gone, Hurst, a 6-foot-4, 206-pound receiver with 4.42 speed from Georgia State, is expected to compete for the WR3 role, potentially behind Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, and is seen as a more intriguing long-term prospect than Jalen McMillan
The Buccaneers have signed third-round wide receiver Ted Hurst and 14 undrafted free agents, leaving only second-round linebacker Josiah Trotter unsigned from their draft class. Hurst joins a receiving corps with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillian
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka was an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate at some points during the 2025 NFL season, but his somewhat underwhelming second half took him out of the running for the award. Along the way, Egbuka's high dynasty stock decreased slightly, creating a "buy" opportunity for managers in some dynasty leagues this offseason. The Ohio State product's subpar production during the second half was frustrating, but there's absolutely no reason to panic going forward. He has still shown that he can be a top-tier receiver in the NFL, winning matchups against defenders and scoring plenty of touchdowns. Now, he'll have an opportunity to do so more often with Mike Evans gone. Evans left for the 49ers in free agency, leaving Egbuka as the Bucs' top receiver over Chris Godwin Jr. Egbuka ranks as the WR12 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. That's nothing to scoff at, but he also has top-five upside if the Bucs' offense can find more of a rhythm in 2026. Believe it or not, Egbuka is still a reasonable trade target in many dynasty leagues
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
