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What to do with Mike Evans in the 2021 NFC Championship

We go over the fantasy football and DFS outlook of Mike Evans ahead of the Bucs matchup up against the Packers in the NFC Championship.

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Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after scoring a 3 yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 17, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

One look at Mike Evans’ stat line from last week might give you pause about slotting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver into your fantasy lineup this week. Evans finished the Divisional round game against the Saints with one catch on three targets, but his one catch was at least a touchdown grab to salvage a few fantasy points on the day.

Fantasy Football analysis: Bucs WR Mike Evans, $5,800

Evans doesn’t matchup well against the Saints. In two games this season he had 66 total yards on just five catches, including a one-catch (a touchdown though) outing in the first week of the season. His numbers were similar last year, including one game in which he got blanked.

Going back just one week, in the Wild Card round, Tom Brady connected with Evans six times on 10 targets for 119 yards. He’s got three games with 100+ yards in his last five.

On the other hand, he’ll have another tough matchup this week. Green Bay’s pass defense has the second-best coverage grade of any team since Week 13, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranks second in pass touchdown percentage allowed. Evans could see a lot of cornerback Jaire Alexander too.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Tough matchup aside, Evans still has some fantasy appeal because of his touchdown potential. I’d probably choose Chris Godwin over him in DFS leagues this week, but Evans is still worth some consideration if you’re looking for a guy who’s likely to get faded in a lot of other lineups.