The new NFL season lies just around the corner, meaning the fantasy football news cycle cranks up and hype trains begin to leave the station.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense posted one of the best seasons in recent memory last year despite entering 2024 with some question marks. Thanks to some superb work from offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Baker Mayfield experienced a career renaissance and led the team to plenty of high-scoring games and an NFL Playoffs appearance. The Buccaneers’ play was so strong, it earned Coen a new job as a head coach elsewhere. After replacing their mastermind, can Tampa Bay produce points (and fantasy football fireworks) at the same level in 2025?
Will Bucky Irving take another leap? Can Mike Evans and Chris Godwin keep producing, or will Emeka Egbuka take over at wideout? Find all the answers below!
How will a new offensive coordinator impact the Buccaneers?
When Baker Mayfield made his way to Tampa Bay two seasons ago, nobody knew whether the offense could succeed with him under center. The former Heisman Trophy winner experienced a solid first few years with the Cleveland Browns but saw some rough times as he bounced from team to team over the couple of campaigns prior. After a preseason position battle with Kyle Trask, Mayfield emerged as the starter with over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns. In Liam Coen’s offense, the quarterback took his game up another notch and looked like one of the 10 best players at his position. The rest is history.
The Buccaneers finished third in total yardage (6,793) and fourth in points (502) thanks to an overwhelming attack. Mayfield put forth a career-best campaign with 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes; wideout Mike Evans broke the 1,000-yard mark with double-digit touchdowns once more; halfback Bucky Irving burst onto the scene with over 1,500 scrimmage yards and eight scores; and Tampa Bay averaged 29.53 points per game. It’s hard to deny that success.
The pieces remain in place for another standout campaign since the Bucs return their quarterback, top two receivers, entire halfback rotation and most of the offensive line. Plus, the front office added a first-round talent at wideout as well, so there’s no shortage of weapons. The only two concerns are an injury which will sideline All-Pro lineman Tristan Wirfs for significant time, as well as the question of how they can replace Coen at coordinator.
Enter Josh Grizzard, who the team hopes can serve as their new coaching wizard. The 36-year-old started his NFL coaching career with the Miami Dolphins in 2017 and spent seven seasons with the team, working as wide receivers coach for two of those years in 2020 and 2021. He played a role in Jaylen Waddle’s development in the latter season as the Alabama product set the franchise’s rookie receiving record, so that’s one plus on Grizzard’s profile. Another positive is the success that team saw over a few seasons he spent on that staff — in 2022, Miami’s offense ranked sixth in yardage and 11th in points, also coming in at fourth in passing yards and touchdowns with the second-best net yards per attempt.
Perhaps working with Mike McDaniel in South Beach helped prepare Grizzard for his role last year. In his first season with the Buccaneers, he took on the role of passing game coordinator under Coen and head coach Todd Bowles. As mentioned earlier, Tampa Bay’s offense looked fantastic but things largely ran through an impressive passing game. In total, the team ranked third in passing yards with the second most touchdowns, while their net yards per attempt ranked sixth league-wide. The Buccaneers also finished fourth in EPA/pass and fifth in EPA/play, so those metrics provide more positive acclaim. In particular, Grizzard was the “right hand man” for Coen per ESPN reporting and was responsible for the Bucs’ third-down packages. That’s particularly notable since they converted third downs at a 50.9% clip, the best mark among all teams and 14th-highest in NFL history.
With this promotion to offensive coordinator, we may not see massive shifts in Tampa Bay’s offensive philosophy. It makes sense to assume they’ll still lean on the pass with the same receiving corps in place, but especially after taking Emeka Egbuka at No. 19 overall in April’s draft. Mayfield earned an extension during the 2024 campaign for three years and $100 million, so they clearly feel confident with him at quarterback (and restructured that deal to provide more guaranteed cash, too). There may be an adjustment period, but it makes sense to assume they’ll still utilize pre-snap motion at a high rate like they did under Coen to shake up the looks the receivers get. Overall, it’s safe to project this unit still finishes as a top-10 offense.
Fantasy star fallout
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield
Remember the Geno Smith redemption arc in Seattle? Baker Mayfield went through a similar revival over the last two years with Tampa Bay and now looks like a true franchise quarterback once more. He’s a bit aggressive at times, but those gunslinging ways haven’t failed him yet with the Bucs.
In 2023, Mayfield produced an overall QB10 campaign but slotted in as the per-game QB21 with 16.1 FPPG. Last season, those ticked up to an overall and per-game finish of QB4 thanks to 21.5 FPPG. He tossed career-high yardage and touchdown totals, and his 7.2% touchdown percentage was by far the best of his career. That’s a mark that probably ends up regressing this season without Coen, especially with a first-time play-caller in charge of the offense.
However, the Buccaneers probably won’t drop out of the picture as far as best attacks go, so around 30 touchdowns feels achievable again for Mayfield since he’s flirted with that mark a couple of times before. He should also see at least 500 pass attempts once more after tallying 566 and 570 over the last two seasons. That’s a conservative estimate assuming the Tampa Bay defense improves a bit and leads to fewer shootouts, but still — Mayfield will throw to a talented group of weapons for a good team, and he brought a little bit of upside on the ground with 378 yards and three scores last year.
Running backs
Bucky Irving
Drafting running backs can become a bit of a crapshoot in fantasy football due to the amount of turnover at the position. The Buccaneers entered last season with Rachaad White as their incumbent starter, who’d just finished the prior campaign with 15.8 FPPG. However, he ended up replaced by a fourth-round rookie, Bucky Irving.
Now, Irving’s numbers at the Draft Combine looked poor and he didn’t exactly have the most eye-popping production in college. None of that mattered in the end as the rookie halfback posted 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground along with 47 catches for 392 yards on 52 targets. Those stats allowed Irving to average 14.4 FPPG, good for an overall finish as the per-game RB19 and overall RB13. The most impressive part? He saw a snap share greater than 50% in just six games.
The drumbeat on Irving is clear this offseason — Tampa Bay wants him to see a larger role in 2025. He produced 5.4 yards per attempt last season on 207 carries and displayed some great elusiveness and vision as a ball-carrier, so it makes sense he could see a few more carries during the coming campaign. Granted, he’s just 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, so a workhorse role may not necessarily happen. Still, there should be plenty of scoring opportunities in this offense and Irving will certainly remain the third-down back as well, so he feels primed for an even better season as he enters year two.
Wide receivers
Mike Evans
Death, taxes, and 1,000-yard campaigns from Mike Evans. Such are the certainties in life, and honestly, it’ll be a sad day once the star wideout fails to reach that mark. In the meantime though, it’s best to enjoy greatness while it’s on the field.
It feels like people fade Evans every season, yet he always pulls through in the end. Following a relative down year for fantasy purposes with 15.0 FPPG in 2022, he posted 16.6 in 2023 before hitting the 17.2 FPPG mark last season. The veteran saw 110 targets in 14 games, hauling in 74 of those for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. While his yards per reception ticked down to 13.6, Evans still finished as the per-game WR10 and overall WR14.
Of course, age remains the ageless question surrounding the star. On one hand, Evans turned 32 on August 21 and has definitely reached the age cliff for receivers, which usually comes at about 30. The sport’s best tend to defy it for a few years, but eventually, the regression comes for everyone. However, Evans falls into the elite category and has put forth a Hall-of-Fame resume over his 11-year career. He’s still the leading target in this offense, especially with Chris Godwin’s health raising eyebrows, and he still has some juice. Fade Evans at your own risk.
Chris Godwin
Over the last few seasons, Chris Godwin emerged as the Robin to Evans’ Batman in the Buccaneers receiver room. As usual, the duo continued to haunt defenses for much of last year but their success met an unfortunate roadblock as Godwin suffered a serious injury.
After breaking onto the scene with a WR2 overall finish in 2019, Godwin has provided top-24 value at his position in just about every campaign he’s healthy for. In 2024, he played just seven games before suffering a serious ankle dislocation which required season-ending surgery. In his healthy weeks though, he saw 62 targets and hauled in 50 of those for 576 yards and five scores. Godwin averaged a monster 19.7 FPPG, tied for the best mark of his career as he slotted in as the WR2 on a per-game basis — behind only Ja’Marr Chase.
If healthy, Godwin can provide plenty of value while playing from the slot where he’s clearly most comfortable. However, his health remains a massive question mark after he underwent a second surgery over the offseason and started training camp on the PUP list. He probably won’t end up on the field for Week 1, and even when he returns, he may not look like his former self. The Bucs also selected Emeka Egbuka in the first round, so you can read between the lines of that selection. Godwin doesn’t look like an absolute fade in 2025, but proceed with caution if you’re drafting him.
Emeka Egbuka
We’ve seen the Buccaneers prop up multiple pass catchers to fantasy stardom in recent years. While Evans is aging and Godwin’s health this season remains questionable, they may have found their next big name at wideout. Enter Emeka Egbuka.
The former Ohio State Buckeye posted his first standout college campaign in 2022 with 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. He caught passes from C.J. Stroud that season, so we’ve already seen what Egbuka can do as the running mate of an NFL quarterback. While he dropped off with just 41 catches for 515 yards and four scores in 2023, Egbuka stayed at Ohio State for an extra season to improve his draft stock. That gamble more than paid off as he hauled in 81 balls for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns, also winning a national championship.
Tampa Bay had numerous holes to fill but selected Egbuka with first-round draft capital anyways, showing just how high the team is on the 22-year-old wideout. He was a 95th-percentile zone beater and combines crafty route-running with a solid 4.49 40-yard dash and 38-inch vertical. The 6-foot-1, 205 pound receiver can also play physical ball at the catch point and should see WR3 reps at worst from day one in the NFL with Jalen McMillan out for several weeks with a neck issue. If Godwin doesn’t play to start the year, Egbuka’s immediate value skyrockets as well. He’s a smash pick in fantasy with very high upside.
Tight end
Cade Otton
The tight end position remains the thinnest in fantasy football, especially at the top. With a handful of elite options followed by some mid-tier guys who provide largely unpredictable production on a week-to-week basis, finding reliable options can prove difficult. Cade Otton may not be a star, but he still served as one of the better options in that tier last season.
The 26-year-old took a couple of seasons to really find his stride after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He caught 42 and 47 balls across his first two seasons, then truly emerged last year with 59 receptions on 87 targets. Otton took those opportunities 600 yards with four scores, averaging 10.0 FPPG. He finished the campaign as the overall TE14 and per-game TE12, which actually feels quite impressive given his lack of touchdowns compared to some other players at the position.
Again, Otton’s not a star by any means, and he realistically would’ve finished third on the team in targets rather than second had Godwin not suffered his injury in Week 7. This offense doesn’t tend to run through tight ends, evidenced by how Otton finished fifth on the Buccaneers in targets in each of his first two NFL seasons. As mentioned earlier as well, Tampa Bay may see a slight decrease in overall passing volume in 2025 as well. However, the situation with Godwin and McMillan’s injuries also benefits Otton since the opening weeks of the campaign, he could slot in third or higher in the pecking order for targets during any given week. If you plan to wait on a tight end in fantasy drafts, he’s a nice pick — just make sure you have a second option to rely on when pass catchers become more crowded in Tampa Bay.
Fringe names to watch
Backfield backups
The two players behind Irving in the Buccaneers’ backfield are Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. They’re essentially polar opposites in terms of talent as White hasn’t shown an ability to work efficiently on the ground through multiple seasons, but he’s a perfectly fine pass catcher who hauled in 51-of-57 targets for 393 yards and six touchdowns.
He still exceeded 1,000 yards from scrimmage last year and tallied nine total scores to average 12.5 FPPG, a mark which qualified him as the overall and per-game RB22. However, White’s averaged just 3.8 yards per carry in his career and his role will shrink if Irving sees more work, so he’s more of a fringe FLEX and depth option than real fantasy starter.
We saw how talent can win out when Irving surpassed White down the stretch last year. Tucker could potentially do the same and usurp White for the RB2 role, and really, he probably should. Don’t let the undrafted free agent label fool you — this Syracuse product fell victim to health concerns which dropped him from the draft in 2023 and allowed him to sign with the Buccaneers. He barely saw work as a rookie but rushed 50 times for 308 yards and two touchdowns last year, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt.
Almost half of his production came in Week 6 with 192 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, but he’s clearly a more athletic runner than White and sees the field better. After all, Tucker tallied over 3,000 yards and 27 total scores over his final two seasons of college. His talent should win out for the RB2 role in Tampa Bay.
Jalen McMillan
When the Buccaneers drafted Jalen McMillan in the third round last year, it felt like he’d end up as a successor to Evans in the bigger picture. The Washington product looked great in college catching passes from Michael Penix Jr. and then produced 461 yards and eight touchdowns on 37 receptions as a rookie in the pros. After posting point totals of 21.9, 18.5, 16.7, 23.0 and 19.0 across the final five weeks of the regular season, it seemed McMillan could serve as a locked-in third receiver, and even second option in Godwin’s absence.
Of course, that outlook took a nosedive once Tampa Bay brought in Egbuka, likely pushing McMillan to the WR4 slot once the position group gets fully healthy. However, he suffered a preseason neck injury and will likely miss the first half of the upcoming campaign. With that in mind, he’s a fade in drafts and can hopefully focus on getting fully healthy given the seriousness of his injury.
