Is Chris Godwin ready to bounce back in fantasy? | Yahoo Fantasy Football Show

Yahoo Fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Andy Behrens discuss the Tampa Bay wide receiver’s potential ahead of the 2024 season. Hear the full conversation on the “Yahoo Fantasy Football Show” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

Chris Godwin is fascinating because again, like it feels like nobody talks about Chris Godwin, nobody cares about Chris Godwin.

Um this is a guy that was a top five receiver at his peak and like, really Andy, in my opinion, before the AC L tear a couple of years ago, it was like knocking on the door to be one of the best receivers in the league.

Um I I was a huge fan of Chris Godwin's game and loved the way he was deployed in the Brady offense, but also thought there was a lot like he was just doing a lot from a real football perspective for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it was kind of like that just perfect number two receiver.

Uh maybe I, I, I'm kind of off the phrase one B receiver generally, but like he was in that group of like, ah, is he, is he 02 or is he, is he a one B type of guy?

But it's certainly one of the best number twos in the league.

And again, kind of knocking on the door to be considered one of the best receivers in the league.

He tears his AC L, um, he kinda has that, like, phony 2022 statistical season with Brady where he's getting a lot of screens.

It's just, but he clearly he wasn't playing his best football.

Um, and at different points last year I thought he wasn't really necessarily playing his best football, but there were games where, like, once they started using it in the slot more, apparently they're gonna use him more in the slot this year.

He looked much better, looked much more like himself.

Um, and you just actually like, yeah, he scored two touchdowns last year.

But other than that, he, he caught 83 passes.

He had 100 and 330 targets.

You know, he went over 1000 yards like the touchdowns, obviously low total.

But overall, like, I think you could say that Chris Godwin turned in a, a quietly quality season last year.

And again, this is a guy that it seems like no one wants to really draft this year.

No one wants to get like, excited about Chris Godwin.

But, um, I do think there's a chance that just if, if Baker Mayfield's good again this year, maybe more of that love goes to Chris Godwin than it did last year.

Yeah, this is, um, pe people are running away from him, right?

Like he's, he's one of those guys where like if his, if Chris Godwin is the next name up in the wide receiver queue, you're probably going to a different position.

Like, I, I don't hear anybody talking about him.

It wasn't, it wasn't that long ago.

Um, that, I mean, maybe it was a long time ago.

I don't know, I'm really old but like, we, we, people used to buzz about Chris Godwin.

People used to get really excited about young Chris Godwin.

And, um, and he, like, he, he paid off, um, he, he actually had like a 1300 yard season.

He's given us 100 catch seasons.

Um, he's been great and I don't, I don't think he's, I don't think he's dust either.

He played through some stuff last year.

A classic case where, like, you know, had the touchdowns been there, um, that they weren't, it's an, it's an issue, um, but had the touchdowns been there, nobody would have been complaining about him because he still clears 1000 yards on the season again.

Um, and II, I thought one of the interesting things to, to discuss with him because, like, we're talking about him on the same day that, you know, he made some comments to the press about how he's, you know, he's looking forward, actively looking forward to spending more time in the slot this season.

And that was just, you know, some of the, some of the under the hood numbers, uh, that, that was the big change with his, with his year last year after, like during the, during the Brady years.

He's like, 70 73% in the slot and last year's 37% he hasn't, hasn't had that low of a slot percentage since 2018.

Right.

Um, and that, that's just not how he's been used.

He, he clearly at this stage of his career since he's, you know, he's, he's talking about how much he's looking forward to different usage in the year ahead.

Um, that, that feels like a positive, you know, he'd grown accustomed to the role and he was thriving in the role.

So I, I think we get him back there.

Um, we get him back in a situation where he is perfectly comfortable.

Um, that, you know, that team was really impressive last year.

They, they win a playoff game, they win a playoff game against the, you know, the previous year's NFC champ.

Um, they've got, they've got a lot that they can build on.

Um, and I don't think he's done.

I don't, I don't think he's washed.