We are proud to be among the first, if not the first, to publish full projections for the upcoming season, going live just days after the Super Bowl. Publishing detailed projections in early February comes with trade-offs, not the least of which is a near-total lack of clarity on how free agency, cap transactions, and the NFL draft will reshape rosters.
We've been updating our projections in near real time, including during the recent onslaught of free-agent transactions. This version will remain largely stable until we can layer in the April NFL draft, but stable projections don't mean settled debates.
We have a staff of sharp analysts with sharp takes of their own, so I thought it would be worthwhile to solicit their views on the key coin-toss situations that will shape each team's outlook in the coming months. These are important questions where reasonable, informed people can credibly land in very different places. I asked my colleagues to weigh in with one assumption: they were answering strictly through the lens of a standard 0.5-PPR redraft league.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coin-Toss Questions
- Can Zac Robinson Lift the Buccaneers' Fantasy Outlook?
- Is Mayfield a High-End QB2 or a One-Year Wonder?
- Will Gainwell Push Irving Off the Fantasy RB1 Map?
- How Do You Rank the Buccaneers Receivers?
Mike Evans is a 49er. Assuming everyone stays healthy this year, how do you rank Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson?
Andy Hicks: In that order. Egbuka was asked to shoulder the absence of his teammates as a rookie. He wore down as the season unfolded, but held up admirably. With an offseason to develop, he should be a potent force. Godwin enters the veteran phase of his career — he has missed too much time over the last two years, and if McMillan is ready, he could easily overtake Godwin. For now, Godwin deserves the chance to start. Jalen McMillan was primed to be a strong contributor after an eight-touchdown rookie season, but a neck fracture cost him most of the season. He did have a seven-catch, 114-yard game, which sets a platform for 2026. Tez Johnson is just depth.
Jeff Haseley: I agree: 1. Emeka Egbuka, 2. Chris Godwin Jr., 3. Jalen McMillan, 4. Tez Johnson. Egbuka is hoping to find the flash he initially showed early last year, and he'll have every chance to do so with Evans out of the picture. Don't rule out Chris Godwin Jr. being a slippery fantasy threat, either. I don't see much fantasy appeal outside of those two receivers at this time.
Maurile Tremblay: I'd go: Godwin, Egbuka, McMillan, Johnson. Godwin will be the chain-mover and is the safest bet for volume. Egbuka should grow into a larger post-Evans role, but I can't put him ahead of Godwin yet. McMillan looks like the big-play vertical option, which gives him upside but less steady volume. Tez Johnson is just a complementary piece.