As if the Buccaneers’ wide receiver depth chart wasn’t already depleted enough, we’re now in a situation where both Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Sterling Shepard (hamstring) are listed as questionable heading into Monday Night Football. Are both viable if they suit up? More troublingly: Who’s even left if they don’t?
Let’s start with McMillan, whose injury seems to be the more concerning issue. After practicing in full on Thursday and Friday, the third-round pick was limited in Saturday’s session, where it’s assumed that he sustained the ailment. Obviously, that’s less than ideal within two days of kickoff.
On the surface, McMillan had a pretty underwhelming performance in Week 8, hauling in four passes for 35 yards. However, when you dig a little below the surface, it’s painfully clear that the rookie is Tampa Bay’s No. 1 wideout with Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) sidelined. McMillan logged 59 offensive snaps against the Falcons — the most of any WR on the team. He also saw seven targets and ran 46 routes. Both were the most of any Buccaneers’ wide receiver last Sunday. To be honest, the question is less about McMillan’s standing among the other WRs and more about how he stacks up versus all the pass catchers on the roster.
Cade Otton was Baker Mayfield’s go-to option, finishing with nine receptions, 81 yards and two touchdowns on a team-high 10 targets. We also witnessed Tampa Bay’s three-headed monster at running back rack up a combined 14 targets. McMillan and the rest of the receiving corps could see more opportunities as opponents begin to key on Otton, but at the moment, it’s evident that WR1 does not equal option No. 1 when it comes to the Buccaneers aerial attack. Still, McMillan’s volume makes his a must-start if he’s available to play.
If he doesn’t, that would make the likes of Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett more interesting. As mentioned above, Shepard technically carries a questionable tag into this tilt with the Chiefs, yet it feels like the veteran will take the field after he returned to practice on Saturday. If not, Ryan Miller would likely become Tampa Bay’s primary slot receiver, after logging 14 of his 30 snaps in the slot in Week 8. He’s only $1,000 as a FLEX in DraftKings Showdown slates, so through sheer frugality, he’d be worth considering.
Start or Sit Jalen McMillan? Start.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
