Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles informed reporters that wide receiver Jalen McMillan is dealing with a knee injury. The more concerning issue about the report was that Bowles stated there was “no timetable for his return”. McMillan is returning from an injury-riddled season in 2025.

McMillan missed 13 games last season due to a neck injury he picked up during the preseason. With Mike Evans leaving the Buccaneers during free agency, the belief was that McMillan would be a part of the new “youth movement” in Tampa. Emeka Egbuka and McMillan would be the new core receivers with veteran Chris Godwin at the helm. But if McMillan is to miss an extended period of time, other receivers will have to step up and take the reps during training camp.

Who Benefits From Jalen McMillan’s Absence?

With Mike Evans in San Francisco for the foreseeable future, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka should be the first options to target in fantasy drafts. Egbuka is the more expensive of the two receivers, with his ADP currently placing him in the third round (ADP 31.5) in recent fantasy draft boards, according to Underdog’s ADP chart. Egbuka showed a lot of promise last season, starting hot right out of the gate next to Mike Evans. Over the first five weeks of the season, Egbuka was the WR3, averaging nearly 21 fantasy points per game.

With Evans out of the picture, along with his 134 target average over the last three seasons, Egbuka becomes one of the prime recipients of Baker Mayfield’s attention in the passing game. Chris Godwin is the next one.

Godwin, despite being the “elder statesman” of the receiving group, will still have a prominent role in the Bucs’ passing game. Chris Godwin’s ADP (90.4) places him in the eighth round, a much cheaper rate than Egbuka. Godwin’s presence in the Bucs passing game as the reliable target for Mayfield will allow him to remain a staple that fantasy managers can rely on. Godwin also dealt with injuries over the last two seasons, so there’s some of that caution baked into his ADP.

The good thing for Godwin is that his training camp reports have been coming back positive. Godwin has been reportedly making cuts and shows no lingering signs of dealing with ankle and lower-leg injuries that have plagued him in recent years. Fantasy managers looking to get a piece of the Bucs’ voluminous passing attack will want to target Godwin at a discount in fantasy drafts.

Another player who should take advantage of McMillan’s absence is rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst. Hurst is a 6’4″, 206 lb rookie wide receiver that the Bucs drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft. Hurst has been drawing a lot of eyes during the start of training camp, often being compared to Mike Evans due to their similar build.

Hurst will be able to soak up the extra reps during training camp while Jalen McMillan recovers from injury. And should a receiver go down during the season, Hurst will be a primary target on the waiver wire to soak up any extra snaps and targets. Hurst is currently going undrafted in your standard 15-round Redraft leagues, but he’s a player that fantasy managers will want to add to their watch lists after their drafts conclude.

The Bucs haven’t decided to place Jalen McMillan on injured reserve, so that seems to be a good sign so far. McMillan’s status will be something to keep watch on as we continue to progress through training camp and the start of the regular season.

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