Emeka Egbuka’s Week 1 Performance Proves He Could Be a Season-Long Fantasy Star

Buccaneers rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka erupted in Week 1 with two touchdowns and 76 total yards, making him a must-start fantasy football option and a potential league-winner moving forward.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (9) looks on before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

We are all looking for league-winners and week winners in fantasy football. That is never more true than in Week 1, when a lot of what we are relying on are just opinions and hunches. That makes things much more difficult, but all the more satisfying. In Week 1, we may have found a star that won us our week and is going to keep winning weeks for us moving forward.

WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There is no doubt that if you were willing to roll the dice on this first-round rookie, he helped your fantasy team in a major way. Surely, there were also plenty of fantasy managers who watched him go off on their bench as well. 

In the season opener, Egbuka caught four of his six targets for a team-best 67 yards and two TDs. He also added a nine-yard run. His 30-yard touchdown reception was also the longest play of the day for the Buccaneers. What makes this even more exciting is that the rookie should only get better from here. A league-winning season could definitely be incoming. At the very least, he should be a must-start option for the remainder of September while Chris Godwin is still on the mend.  

The #Bucs will be without WR Chris Godwin today, as he recovers from a second surgery on his ankle, this time to tighten up hardware. Sources tell me and @judybattista he should return to practice soon and Week 5 is the target for a return. W6 or 7 is also possible. It’s coming. pic.twitter.com/io0XRi53Q4

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2025

Emeka Egbuka's Week 2 Matchup

In Week 2, he draws the Houston Texans, who just allowed Puka Nacua to go off for 10 receptions and 130 yards, while Davante Adams added 51 yards of his own. With Derek Stingley Jr likely locked in on Mike Evans, Egbuka could be in for a massive day. It's not reasonable to expect two TDs every week, but his volume and yardage totals could easily rise as he establishes himself as a reliable option for Baker Mayfield. 

That is exactly what we expect to happen. If he continues to play like he did in Week 1, Godwin may find himself in a tough spot trying to get his targets back when he does return to action. Especially, if he isn’t quite 100% like he was prior to the ankle injury. If you drafted and started Egbuka, you got a week winner in Week 1, a superstar for the rest of September, and perhaps a league winner for the rest of the 2025 fantasy football season. If you benched him in Week 1, do not make the same mistake and leave him on your bench next week or any week until further notice.