Mike Evans - Week 2 vs. St. Louis
Mike Evans saw the same amount of targets as Vincent Jackson in Week 1 (9) and even outproduced him in receptions (5) and yards (37). It wasn't a great day for the first-rounder, but games like this are expected from a rookie in his pro debut. There's no denying Evans has talent, but there's always risk in starting a rookie wideout in fantasy.
He'll draw a favorable matchup in Week 2 against St. Louis and should be viewed as a WR3.
Mike Evans - Week 1 vs. Carolina
Welcome to the NFL, rookie. Mike Evans will make his regular season debut in a tough matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers were the third toughest defense against wideouts in fantasy a season ago.
Evans showed a lot of promise in the preseason. In a game against Miami he caught two passes for 52 yards and nearly had a touchdown, but fumbled the ball near the goal line. In the third game he caught three passes for 44 yards and burned a defender for a touchdown.
Tampa Bay selected Evans in the first round because he has great talent. He may a stud later in his career, but he's a risky play in Week 1. A tough matchup in his first game makes him a WR4 option.
Fantasy Upside
Mike Evans is Tampa Bay’s first-round draft pick this year, so he’s expected to get significant playing time during his rookie season. He was the seventh overall selection in May because of the numbers he put up at Texas A&M. He was first-team All-SEC in both 2012 and 2013 as well as a consensus All-American in 2013. Evans will come into Tampa after the departure of Mike Williams, who put up good numbers during his years with the Bucs. Evans is coming in as a better prospect and could possibly improve on the numbers Williams had.
Fantasy Downside
It’s always a risk selecting a rookie in redraft leagues. You never know if they will be able to learn the playbook quickly enough or if they will adapt to the speed of the NFL. Only one rookie receiver last year (Keenan Allen) surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. Only one other rookie (DeAndre Hopkins) had more than 800 yards receiving.
Bottom Line
Evans enters a nice fantasy situation with the Bucs. He gets to play opposite of Vincent Jackson, which should open him up for more looks. Not only is he in a good opportunity, but he has the talent to put up some big numbers as well. At 6-foot-5 and 225 lbs, Evans is a big target for quarterback Josh McCown. He’s a promising rookie in a good place. It's best to draft him as a WR3 or as a flex.
