Week 3 vs. New York Giants
Chris Godwin has lived up to the immense preseason hype that was laid upon him. He's easily been the Bucs' best receiving threat so far, leading the team in receiving yards in both games. He really shined in Week 2, finishing 8-121-1 on nine targets. His strong season should continue this week as he gets a great matchup against a bad Giants defense. New York is allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts in 2019. Godwin has entered WR1 territory for Week 3.
Week 2 at Carolina Panthers
Chris Godwin led the Bucs in targets (6) last week as he finished 3-53-1 in a game where Jameis Winston struggled. He was one of the few productive players in Tampa Bay's offense and it provided some support to the hype that surrounded him throughout the offseason.
He should be good to go again this week against the Panthers. He played well against Carolina a year ago, finishing 5-101-1. The Panthers aren't a particularly tough matchup, so we like Godwin as a solid WR2 option this week.
Week 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Chris Godwin had a mini-breakout season in 2018 as he started the season strong, catching four touchdowns in his first five games. He'd only go on to score in two of his next 11 games, however. His inconsistencies from a year ago should stop now that the Bucs have cleared some space in their receiving corps. Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson are no longer there to eat up targets, which should allow Godwin to shine. He's a candidate to top 1,000 receiving yards this year, and he'll try to open that pace up in Week 1 in a favorable matchup against the 49ers. We like Godwin as a strong WR2 play against San Francisco.
Fantasy Upside
There’s a lot of talk in the fantasy community about Chris Godwin, and for good reason. After not doing a whole lot as a rookie (525 yards), Godwin had a minor breakout season in 2018. He finished with 59 receptions for 842 yards and seven touchdowns. He had some big games, including three 100-yard performances. He caught everyone’s attention early in the season when he started off scoring four times in the first five games. With DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries out of the lineup, Godwin can finally jump up the depth chart and get some added playing time.
Fantasy Downside
Godwin started off hot in 2018, but then cooled down later in the season. He had a three-game stretch where he finished with a total of four receptions for 52 yards. A potential negative with Godwin is that he’s receiving so much hype, his ADP has risen pretty high. We haven’t seen Godwin play a full season with an increased role, so you’re paying a high price for a player who hasn’t really proven himself quite yet. He’s behind Mike Evans and O.J. Howard in the pecking order of receivers, so keep expectations limited.
2019 Bottom Line
There’s a lot to like about Godwin this season. Pretty much everything is in line for him to have a breakout year. Most of his bad games last season were just a result of Humphries or Jackson being in the way. Bruce Arians says Godwin “is going to be close to a 100-catch guy.” While those are lofty goals, it shows he’s definitely in line for a better season. Look at him as a strong WR2 choice with a high ceiling.
Week 17 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Chris Godwin went 3-39 last week as his season has taken a nose dive in the second half. He's had four total catches in his last three games and has only had over 50 receiving yards twice in his last nine games. He's a hard to trust option this week against the Falcons.
Week 16 at Dallas Cowboys
Chris Godwin has one catch in his last two games combined as he dropped a fat goose egg last week (on three targets). He's scored just once in his last nine games after starting the season by scoring in four of his first five. He's just not as involved in the offense as he used to be and with DeSean Jackson's return as well as a tough matchup, it's hard to see him as anything more than a WR4.
Week 15 at Baltimore Ravens
Chris Godwin posted a bizarre stat line week, finishing with just one catch ... on 10 targets. Godwin's been a tough player to get a grasp on this year as he's been hot-and-cold all season. He has the chance to go for 100 yards one game and finish with one or two catches the next.
He gets a tough matchup vs. the Ravens this week as Baltimore is allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs. Godwin is a WR3 in Week 15.
Week 14 vs. New Orleans Saints
With DeSean Jackson out of the lineup last week, Chris Godwin finally showed up with a strong 101-yard game on five catches. He also scored for the first time since Week 6. With Jackson expected to sit out again, we like Godwin to continue to put up strong numbers like he was earlier in the season.
Speaking of which, he gets to face the Saints again, as he did in Week 1 when he caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. With Jackson out, we like him to have higher numbers than that this week. We like him as a WR2 in a favorable matchup vs. New Orleans.
Week 13 vs. Carolina Panthers
Chris Godwin started the season as a hot commodity, but lately, his role has been somewhat replaced by Adam Humphries. He still has some value as he's had at least 40 yards in all but two games this season, but it's typically just not enough to warrant a fantasy start. He should be viewed as a lower-end WR3 option this week.
Week 12 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Chris Godwin caught all three of his targets for 50 yards last week. Godwin had fantasy relevance at the start of the year, catching four touchdowns in his first five games, but hasn't scored since that streak. He's had good performances since then, but he's been shaky as Adam Humphries is eating into his production.
Still, with a favorable matchup, Godwin can be viewed as a low-end WR2 vs. the 49ers. Expect another performance around 50 yards for Godwin.
