Chris Godwin Dislocates his Ankle: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact
After a relatively quiet start to the fantasy season in terms of season-ending injuries, we saw a brutal week with Deshaun Watson tearing his Achilles and Brandon Aiyuk tearing both his ACL and MCL. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an absolute disaster occurred on Monday Night Football when Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle with less than a minute left in the game. He’ll undergo surgery and be lost for the season. This is a major injury in dynasty leagues, so let’s re-assess some player values.
Chris Godwin, WR TB
This one is tough to swallow. Godwin was in the midst of a fantastic season, posting 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns, good enough to be the WR2 on the season, behind only Ja’Marr Chase. As consistent as they come, Godwin was really finding chemistry with Baker Mayfield again this season and had Tampa Bay rolling. A dislocated ankle is no joke and he’ll have surgery this week to repair it. On the good front, this isn’t a tear or rupture of tendons or ligaments, so he should make a full recovery, though he’s surely out for the season.
The problem with having Godwin now is the uncertainty that comes with his status moving forward. He’ll be 29 in February and will inevitably start to see a decline in productivity, regardless of his recovery. An even bigger concern is his contract status. Godwin is a free agent at the end of this season and who knows what’s going to happen on that front. His time in Tampa Bay could be over, but if it is, it’s been great as he’s posted 579 catches for 7,266 yards and 39 touchdowns with four different 1,000-yard seasons in his eight years (this year would have undoubtedly been his fifth and fourth in a row). Godwin is good enough to be a WR1 on most teams, but the right fit is going to be important.
The dynasty rankings and ADP are never kind to aging players who endure season-ending injuries, so they’re both going to go down. However, if you’re a team that’s out of contention, you could certainly make a case to trade for him on the cheap and stash him your IR. Regardless, Godwin’s value is clearly in flux and it’s going to take some time before we can really evaluate his future.
Mike Evans, WR TB
You would think Evans would just get peppered with targets with Godwin out. Unfortunately, Evans is was hurt in Monday’s game as well and it looks like he’s going to miss around a month before even attempting to come back from his hamstring ailment. One of NFL’s great ironmen, Evans will need to get back quickly or the Bucs season could be in ruins. His streak of 1,000 yard seasons could be in jeopardy, but he should also have a nice short-term boost at the end of the year. In the end, Evans’ value should remain stable. He won’t give you much for a while, but could give you a lot at the end.
Bucs Running Backs
This committee of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker is looking like it’s going to be leaned on heavily. The problem is knowing which of these players is going to have a big big game on any given week. White remains the best bet for touches, but Irving and Tucker have both emphatically stated their respective cases to be in the mix. This looks like a truly maddening situation at the moment and while Tampa Bay is likely going to rely more heavily on these runners, this could take a few weeks to really sort out. Godwin’s injury doesn’t really move the needle much here.
Baker Mayfield, QB TB
Ouch. Mayfield was on his way to one his best seasons and is currently the QB2 in most fantasy leagues. Losing Godwin is bad enough, but losing Godwin AND Evans at the same time is destined to make this offense much more conservative and, frankly, much more defendable. Mayfield is likely going to continue putting up some good games and his ADP should still be on the rise, but seeing him hold to QB2 status over the next month would be a modern day miracle.
Other Tampa Bay receivers
This consists of players like Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer, and Jalen McMillan. Each of these players is now in a prime role in the of.fense and all need to be on rosters at the moment. Shepard is a veteran leader and could lead the way. McMillan is a rookie but has shown flashes, as has Palmer. Time will tell how targets will open up but it’s rare to see two starting receivers go down the same week, so opportunities are there for this group immediately.
Cade Otton, TE TB
The big winner at the moment could be Otton, who had eight catches for 100 yards this week after Evans left the contest, even with Godwin playing most of the game. He has at least six targets in four of the last five games and was clearly one of Mayfield’s favorite options this week. Otton’s role could continue to grow over the next month and he could honestly provide TE1 value should the Bucs really look his way. Regardless, Otton’s value looks primed for a rebound.
Mike Williams, WR NYJ
The Jets are wanting to rid themselves of Williams and Tampa looks like a perfect destination. If the Bucs are truly desperate and need some immediate help, a trade for Williams would surprise nobody. While nothing is imminent and this is just speculation, you can see a match here pretty easily. Stay tuned.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
After a relatively quiet start to the fantasy season in terms of season-ending injuries, we saw a brutal week with Deshaun Watson tearing his Achilles and Brandon Aiyuk tearing both his ACL and MCL. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an absolute disaster occurred on Monday Night Football when Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle with less than a minute left in the game. He’ll undergo surgery and be lost for the season. This is a major injury in dynasty leagues, so let’s re-assess some player values.
Chris Godwin, WR TB
This one is tough to swallow. Godwin was in the midst of a fantastic season, posting 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns, good enough to be the WR2 on the season, behind only Ja’Marr Chase. As consistent as they come, Godwin was really finding chemistry with Baker Mayfield again this season and had Tampa Bay rolling. A dislocated ankle is no joke and he’ll have surgery this week to repair it. On the good front, this isn’t a tear or rupture of tendons or ligaments, so he should make a full recovery, though he’s surely out for the season.
The problem with having Godwin now is the uncertainty that comes with his status moving forward. He’ll be 29 in February and will inevitably start to see a decline in productivity, regardless of his recovery. An even bigger concern is his contract status. Godwin is a free agent at the end of this season and who knows what’s going to happen on that front. His time in Tampa Bay could be over, but if it is, it’s been great as he’s posted 579 catches for 7,266 yards and 39 touchdowns with four different 1,000-yard seasons in his eight years (this year would have undoubtedly been his fifth and fourth in a row). Godwin is good enough to be a WR1 on most teams, but the right fit is going to be important.
The dynasty rankings and ADP are never kind to aging players who endure season-ending injuries, so they’re both going to go down. However, if you’re a team that’s out of contention, you could certainly make a case to trade for him on the cheap and stash him your IR. Regardless, Godwin’s value is clearly in flux and it’s going to take some time before we can really evaluate his future.
Mike Evans, WR TB
You would think Evans would just get peppered with targets with Godwin out. Unfortunately, Evans is was hurt in Monday’s game as well and it looks like he’s going to miss around a month before even attempting to come back from his hamstring ailment. One of NFL’s great ironmen, Evans will need to get back quickly or the Bucs season could be in ruins. His streak of 1,000 yard seasons could be in jeopardy, but he should also have a nice short-term boost at the end of the year. In the end, Evans’ value should remain stable. He won’t give you much for a while, but could give you a lot at the end.
Bucs Running Backs
This committee of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker is looking like it’s going to be leaned on heavily. The problem is knowing which of these players is going to have a big big game on any given week. White remains the best bet for touches, but Irving and Tucker have both emphatically stated their respective cases to be in the mix. This looks like a truly maddening situation at the moment and while Tampa Bay is likely going to rely more heavily on these runners, this could take a few weeks to really sort out. Godwin’s injury doesn’t really move the needle much here.
Baker Mayfield, QB TB
Ouch. Mayfield was on his way to one his best seasons and is currently the QB2 in most fantasy leagues. Losing Godwin is bad enough, but losing Godwin AND Evans at the same time is destined to make this offense much more conservative and, frankly, much more defendable. Mayfield is likely going to continue putting up some good games and his ADP should still be on the rise, but seeing him hold to QB2 status over the next month would be a modern day miracle.
Other Tampa Bay receivers
This consists of players like Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer, and Jalen McMillan. Each of these players is now in a prime role in the of.fense and all need to be on rosters at the moment. Shepard is a veteran leader and could lead the way. McMillan is a rookie but has shown flashes, as has Palmer. Time will tell how targets will open up but it’s rare to see two starting receivers go down the same week, so opportunities are there for this group immediately.
Cade Otton, TE TB
The big winner at the moment could be Otton, who had eight catches for 100 yards this week after Evans left the contest, even with Godwin playing most of the game. He has at least six targets in four of the last five games and was clearly one of Mayfield’s favorite options this week. Otton’s role could continue to grow over the next month and he could honestly provide TE1 value should the Bucs really look his way. Regardless, Otton’s value looks primed for a rebound.
Mike Williams, WR NYJ
The Jets are wanting to rid themselves of Williams and Tampa looks like a perfect destination. If the Bucs are truly desperate and need some immediate help, a trade for Williams would surprise nobody. While nothing is imminent and this is just speculation, you can see a match here pretty easily. Stay tuned.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
