Chris Godwin was well on his way to a top-12 wide receiver finish in fantasy football until he tore his ACL in Week 15. Despite missing the season’s final three weeks, Godwin still finished as the WR15 on the season. Imagine how high he would’ve finished without the tear. Tom Brady is back with the Bucs. So is Godwin after he re-signed with the Buccaneers on a three-year $60 million deal. He was Tampa’s leading receiver in both yards and receptions. Due to the ACL tear, he’s been slowed in his recovery, but he still might make it back in time for Week 1 of the NFL season. Whether that’s an intelligent thing to do remains to be seen. There’s no denying that the former third-round pick is a star in the NFL at wide receiver.
2021 Recap
In 2021, Godwin played on the franchise tag. Tearing his ACL could’ve prevented him from getting a huge payday, but in the end, the Bucs didn’t care. This was encouraging as it meant they knew he would return strong. Last year, Godwin played in 14 games. He accrued 127 targets, made 98 receptions, and had 1,103 yards. He added five touchdowns receiving and a rushing touchdown on 21 rushing yards. On a per-game basis, he saw nine-plus targets, caught seven, and averaged 78+ yards. Those are strong numbers.
2022 Projections
Godwin will miss time this year if the Buccaneers are smart. I know that Godwin is already starting to practice, but the last thing anyone wants is to have him get injured again or risk another tear. I think he sits for the first two weeks of the season, maybe three. The Bucs have plenty of offense. They want him healthy later on, as do fantasy players. Once Godwin does return, I expect him to start slower than usual. This is due to getting back to game speed. Ultimately, I predict he is another strong fantasy wide receiver that finishes in the top 20. Godwin is too good to keep down for long.
I have Godwin playing in 15 games and averaging 15.6 ppg in PPR. That per-game average is good enough to be a WR1 despite what he finishes as in point totals. He will get some rushes, maybe more than three, but I was being pessimistic that they don’t rush him a ton. The touchdowns could rise or fall by a couple, depending on Julio Jones’ health.
Buy/Sell Chris Godwin?
Better believe I’m buying as many shares of Godwin as possible. He’s an elite wide receiver and is entering his age-26 season. He has at least four or five prime years left. Brady might retire after this season, but Godwin performed with Jameis Winston. The Bucs will replace Brady with another good quarterback with such a win-now team. Granted, it won’t be Brady; it will still be someone good. Look to acquire Godwin at a deflated cost of two mid-late first-round picks. Try to buy for only a first and a second.
Godwin’s price will rise a ton once he plays in a game. If rebuilding, sell whenever. He will upset your rebuild effort by scoring way too many points. If you want to avoid the risk of reinjury, sell now. If you can wait until he plays, sell then. Just be sure to sell. Go after younger players like Garrett Wilson, Devonta Smith, and others.
Summary
Godwin should miss a couple of weeks to start the season. He made your dynasty team that much stronger if he doesn’t. Expect him to be a high-end WR2. He’ll average WR1 numbers per week. Buy the dip on Godwin. The price will only rise, plus he has nearly a half-decade of prime left. I know that ACL tears are scary, but modern medical science has made them not anything to worry about. Just know that Chris Godwin will be a great play this year for contending teams in dynasty. He’ll be even better in the future.
Do you want to become the best dynasty player you can be? Be sure to use my promo code “Dart” for 15% OFF your subscription to Dynasty Nerds! It makes it only three dollars or so! Connect with me on Twitter @DarthDbacks. I love to talk football, baseball, movies, shows, Star Wars, Marvel, and interact with the fantasy football community. For more articles of mine, click here.
As always, May the Force be with You…
