Mike Evans Ruled Out For Week 14, Emeka Egbuka Primed For Bounce Back Effort
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the thick of the NFC playoff race, leading their division by a game entering Week 14, despite a flurry of injuries throughout the season. Offensively, a number of notable starters have dealt with nagging issues throughout the season, including star wideout Mike Evans.
Evans has been out since Week 7 after injuring his clavicle versus the Detroit Lions on Oct. 22. The star wideout was slated to return from injured reserve, but received a discouraging update ahead of Sunday’s matchup versus the New Orleans Saints. On Friday, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles ruled out Evans for Week 14, marking the future Hall-of-Famer’s sixth consecutive absence.
The team expects Evans to return in Week 15, as the Buccaneers gear up for a second straight divisional showdown, this time taking on the Atlanta Falcons. Alongside Evans, Jalen McMillan was ruled out for Week 14, though both receivers managed to return to practice in limited form this week.
In limited action, Evans has hauled in 14 of his 31 targets for 140 receiving yards with one touchdown. Injuries will cost the star wideout his 11-year streak of 1,000 yards, eclipsing the mark in every season leading up to 2025. Still, with Evans likely to return in Week 15, he’ll offer immense fantasy value in the playoffs as Tampa Bay looks to solidify its lead in the division over the last few weeks of the NFL regular season. Here’s how his absence will impact the Buccaneers on Sunday:
Mike Evans’ Injury Makes Way For Other Key Buccaneers’ Offensive Contributors
Emeka Egbuka has emerged as the dominant force in fantasy on the Buccaneers offense, breaking out in his rookie season as the unit’s leader in production for much of the year. Through 12 games, Egbuka has racked up 52 catches for 791 yards and six touchdowns, entering Week 14 ranked as WR11 in fantasy football among PPR leagues. Without Evans, he’s slated to continue his significant workload versus a lowly Saints defense.
Egbuka checks in as the top start candidate among the Bucs’ offense in Week 14, despite a recent dip in production. Behind the rookie sensation, Bucky Irving, who made his return in Week 13 following an extended absence, made a splash in his first game back, posting 16.1 PPR points despite missing each of the last seven games. In a favorable matchup, Irving also enters the week as a prime start candidate for Week 14.
Last week, veteran wideout Chris Godwin posted 78 receiving yards over three catches, marking a new season-high in single-game production. Like Evans, Godwin has dealt with injuries throughout the season, suiting up in just four games to this point of the season. His production, while encouraging, may need another week to develop in the eyes of some fantasy owners. Still, given the matchup, he could be considered a quality flex option coming off a promising performance.
Tez Johnson and Sterling Shepard have also split time posting WR2 production in the Buccaneers’ offense, though it’s hard to project either offering starting-caliber fantasy upside in Week 14.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.