Contract Terms
Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reached an agreement on a two-year, $52 million contract with a guaranteed $35 million, his agent Deryk Gilmore told ESPN. The Buccaneers subsequently confirmed the news.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Often, in free agency -- at least from a fantasy perspective -- the best move is no move. In the case of Evans and the Buccaneers, with a new offensive coordinator taking over and uncertainty at quarterback with Baker Mayfield an unrestricted free agent, there might be too many moving pieces remaining to make that claim.
Still, Evans' proven track record with the club puts this on the positive end of the range of likely outcomes.
Evans has delivered 10 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons in his 10 seasons in Tampa, a record for a receiver to start a career. Evans' 11,680 total receiving yards are 4,990 more than the next-closest Buc all-time (Chris Godwin, 6,690), and his 94 touchdown catches are 60 more than No. 2 (Godwin, 34). NFL.com's Keven Patra noted, "Aging hasn't slowed Evans down, as he still finds ways to get open and can win at every level."
His importance to the club is evident. Gilmore told ESPN's Adam Schefter the deal, which averages $26 million per season, is the largest for a wide receiver this old on his third contract. NFL.com notes the new contract is a nearly $10 million-per-year raise from the five-year, $82.5 million extension Evans signed in 2018 that he played out.
Evans sits at WR20 on the Footballguys 2024 Draft Rankings. He's WR15 on our Best Ball Rankings. Those rankings are more in line with where his value will be trending than with his current ADPs (Average Draft Position) on both Underdog, where the veteran wideout is going off as WR21 with an ADP of 31, and BestBall10s, where he sits at WR24 with an ADP of 39.
Expect both values to move up on this news, and the price could rise further if/when Mayfield re-signs with Tampa.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Evans was considered one of the top -- if not the top -- wide receivers available via free agency. The Kansas City Chiefs, amongst others, were expected to be interested. The revised list of top free-agent wide receivers includes Michael Pittman Jr, Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown, Gabe Davis, Odell Beckham Jr, and Michael Thomas. This is good news for those players as it keeps at least one high-end opening available if they move on.
Meanwhile, as Schefter suggests, bringing back Evans will not only help the Buccaneer's offense but also serve as another catalyst in the effort to re-sign Mayfield, who has said he hoped to continue playing with the standout wideout. With a Mayfield-approved offensive coordinator in Liam Coen hired to replace Dave Canazelez, the Buccaneers have done their part to set the stage for Mayfield's return.
This move will keep the status quo for a Tampa wide-receiving corps that is able to support two fantasy-relevant plays: Evans and Godwin. Beyond that, Evans, who has averaged 132 targets annually during his decade as a Buc, will be a limiting factor for all the remaining wideouts (most notably Russell Gage, Trey Palmer, David Moore, Deven Thompkins, and Rakim Jarrett).
Stock Watch
Risers
- Mike Evans
- Baker Mayfield (if he remains a Buccaneer)
Fallers
Overview
Mike Evans' new two-year deal with the Buccaneers gives the veteran wideout a real chance to start and finish his career with the Buccaneers. While he seems slightly undervalued in ongoing best ball drafts (widely available in the fourth round on Underdog and BestBall 10s), that will change with this news. The rise could accelerate if the Buccaneers re-sign Baker Mayfield. Remember, Evans finished as WR7 in 2023 and showed no signs of slowing down.