The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been winning close games all season with big plays in the passing game from Baker Mayfield. Mayfield has quickly connected with rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka as his new go-to option, but there are still opportunities for other contributors to step up due to multiple injuries.
Can Tez Johnson step into that void and be a viable fantasy football sleeper in Week 6 against the 49ers? Let’s take a look at the Bucs’ injury situation in the wide receiver room and break down Johnson’s potential for fantasy both short and long term.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ruled out
Whether Johnson steps up or not, one thing is for sure; the Bucs are short-handed at receiver.
Mike Evans (hamstring) will miss his third straight game this week after being sidelined for every practice since leaving with a moderate left hamstring strain in a Week 3 win over the Jets. Chris Godwin (fibula) missed the first three games of this season after a grisly injury last year, and he may have come back too soon or played too large a role. He saw more than 70% of Tampa’s snaps in his two games back and caught 6-of-14 targets for 52 yards. He won’t play this week, though, although coach Todd Bowles said that this current injury isn’t to the part of his fibula that he broke last year. It’s a new injury, but it isn’t clear how long he’ll be sidelined for. Jalen McMillan (neck) is also not ready to return from IR yet, as he is still in a neck brace after suffering an injury this preseason. The second-year receiver hopes to get back on the field this season, but it doesn’t look like his return will be any time soon.
Of the three injured receivers, Evans is probably the closest to returning, but since he hasn’t participated in even a limited practice, there could be a window for Johnson to step up in the next few weeks.
Tez Johnson’s potential upside
Johnson stepped up with four catches on four targets last week, going for 59 yards. He added a two-yard rush to produce a season-high 10.1 fantasy points. Johnson has played 20+ snaps in each of the last three games for the Bucs, and former coach Jon Gruden has been in on him as a player to watch for the last several weeks.
The Bucs grabbed Johnson in the seventh round out of Oregon, and he showed impressive elusiveness after the catch last week. With targets available, he seems like a big play waiting to happen for the Bucs. Especially with Bucky Irving (shoulder/foot) also out, the Bucs are looking for playmakers, and Johnson gives that kind of upside. He’s a huge risk since he only has 13.4 total fantasy points in his first five NFL games, but the opportunity and ceiling are there for the shifty receiver.
The Bottom Line
Johnson is well outside my top 30 WR rankings this week and isn’t someone you should be starting in standard formats. However, if you are looking for depth filler on your bench that could break out, or if you’re in a deep league, he could emerge as a FLEX play.
The way that Johnson really makes sense, though, is if you’re looking for a flier on Sunday’s main DFS slate, headlined by this week’s NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings. Johnson has a salary of just $3,200, which is barely over the minimum. With only Egbuka and Sterling Shepard ahead of him for targets, Johnson has the potential to be an extreme value play that pays off. He’s a high risk flier to consider including in your player pool, though, since he leaves so much salary on the table for the remainder of your roster.
