Many heading into the 2023 NFL season thought Mike Evans wouldn’t be worth a pick in fantasy drafts around the 7th or 8th round as the 29th-ranked receiver.
Boy, the Bucs and Evans doubters were wrong.
The 30-year veteran receiver thrived with Baker Mayfield, as the consensus was that the passing volume in Tampa Bay would drop off with the “downgrade” from Tom Brady in 2022 to Mayfield the following season.
That might’ve been why the Bucs went even more pass-heavy, with a gunslinger like Mayfield under former offensive coordinator Dave Canales, the new head coach for the Carolina Panthers.
With Evans re-signed under a new offensive coordinator in Liam Coen, can he repeat success and be a top-ten receiver in fantasy football?
Mike Evans 2023 Stats and Fantasy Production
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After a disappointing 2022 as the receiver 17 in PPR for fantasy, Mike Evans came back with a vengeance in 2023, basically outplaying his average ADP by a few rounds.
This past year, Evans had his 10th consecutive 1,000-plus-yard receiving season tied with Randy Moss, making him four seasons shy of tying Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, with 14 consecutive seasons according to StatMuse.
2024 could be the year the five-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro dethrones Moss, as he holds all the records for the Bucs statistically as a pass catcher, making this upcoming season his 11th in the NFL.
Even in a statistical “down year” in 2022, Evans only disappointed due to the lack of touchdowns, catching 6 in Brady’s last year with the team compared to 13 with Mayfield. He still had over 1,000 yards and over 70 catches as a focal point of the Buc offense.
The former 7th overall pick from Texas A&M (2014) is an all-time great Buccaneer and had 79 catches for 1,255 yards last season, making the 6’5″ and 231-pound monster one of the best to play the game.
Tampa Bay agreed to a deal with Evans to remain a Buc, signing a two-year $52 million contract to not let him walk this offseason.
Mike Evans 2024 Fantasy Outlook
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With a change at offensive coordinator Coen, who has ties to the Los Angeles Rams, the passing volume shouldn’t have a drastic dropoff compared to last year with everyone back, including Mike Evans on offense, besides Canales.
Chris Godwin is a star of his own, but his presence never threatened Evans statistically. Godwin is mostly a move-the-chains slot-type possession receiver. Evans has enough threat on the perimeter to score in the red zone as a big frame target for Mayfield, or deep down the field as a big play menace.
According to FantasyPros, Evans is being drafted around the third round after being the 7th best receiver last season. I would still consider that a value, as he is ranked as the 15th receiver in PPR even with his age.
Evans was a top-five fantasy wide receiver in 2023, ranking fourth in standard and fifth in half PPR.
Final Thoughts on Mike Evans
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In my home league, I traded for Mike Evans before the trade deadline, and that paid off, getting runner-up and finishing second, only losing in the championship. Evan had a stretch of four weeks straight he had 15-20 plus points from Week 10 to Week 13.
Although Evans gets banged up for a few games each year, his touchdown equity and consistent volume downfield are enough to make him a round-two or three player for fantasy football drafts.
As good as a veteran All-Pro and Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams is on the Las Vegas Raiders, the 31-year-old is being drafted 15th and I much rather have Evans ten picks later around pick 25 in fantasy drafts.
The ageless wonder Mike Evans might be slept on for upcoming fantasy drafts, however, I won’t be one of those caught sleeping at the wheel.
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