Chris Godwin fantasy outlook 2025: Is Bucs WR a safe pick this year amid return from ankle injury?

Chris Godwin has been working his way back from an ankle injury ahead of the 2025 fantasy football season. he has yet to return to the practice field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he's reportedly scheduled to do so in the coming weeks. This makes him a risky pick this year, so here's where his fantasy outlook currently stands.

Should you draft Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin in 2025?

Chris Godwin got off to an excellent start in fantasy football last year before an ankle injury ended his season after just seven starts. Prior to the injury, he was leading the entire NFL with 50 receptions and ranked as the WR2 in fantasy points per game.

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This creates an opportunity to buy low on the Buccaneers star this year as many managers may choose to fade him coming off of the injury. Those picking him will need to be patient as he's reportedly expected to miss the first month of the 2025 season, but he could pay off later on.

Chris Godwin fantasy outlook in 2025

Godwin appeared to be on his way to potentially having a career year last season, but 2025 will create additional hurdles for his fantasy outlook. In addition to dislocting his ankle and spending the entire offseason recovering, he will also have more competition for targets.

The Buccaneers selected Emeka Egbuka during the 2025 NFL Draft, giving Baker Mayfield another weapon to work with. The rookie is one of the top overall prospects this year, so if he performs to his expectations in Godwin's absence, it could change their target hierarchy going forward.

Is Chris Godwin a good pick in fantasy football this year?

Godwin comes with significant risk in 2025 fantasy football, due to his injury and target competition, but he also has plenty of upside. In addition to his incredible start to last season, he also finished as the overall WR32 or better in each of his six years prior.

Managers may choose to buy low on Godwin this season on what will be a discounted price relative to his past perfromances. They must be aware of his dangerously low floor, but he's the type of gamble that could end being a league-winner in the later rounds of the draft.

Where should you draft Chris Godwin this year?

Godwin currently ranks as the 102nd overall player and WR45 in 2025 fantasy football drafts, according to Fantasy pros. This means that he profiles as a Flex option for many rosters and he can be targeted around the ninth round of most drafts, depending upon league format and scoring settings.

Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool suggests picking Godwin in favor of other formerly elite veterans like Cooper Kupp and Keenan Allen. All of them face additional challenges to their fantasy outlooks this season, but Godwin has the superior projections of this trio. He has also outperformed this ADP in six of his eight seasons overall, making him an intriguing late-round gamble.

About the author

Adam Hulse is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda with 4 years of experience. He is also the host of the podcast "Sports Talk with Adam Hulse."

Adam studied Communications at Villanova University and played American football at Pop Warner and as a high school Freshman. His favorite team are the Dallas Cowboys, and if Adam could lay his hands on a time machine, he would love to witness their glory years from the 1990s. The Cowboys' 27-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX is his favorite Super Bowl of all time.

Given his affinity for 'America's Team,' Adam's favorite players of all time include Emmitt Smith. Michael Irvin, Tony Romo and Dak Prescott.

Adam takes a lot of pride in his work, which naturally culminates into insightful content for his readers, performance analysis being his forte. When not writing about football, Adam spends a time on his podcast.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fans! Check out the latest Tampa Bay Schedule and dive into the Tampa Bay Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Adam Hulse