Emeka Egbuka

Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka didn't kill you if you used him in fantasy lineups vs. the Falcons on Thursday night, finishing with four catches for 64 yards. Both those marks -- and Egbuka's seven targets -- ranked second on the team behind only WR Mike Evans. But a deeper dive into Tampa Bay's WR usage in this one reveals a major concern for Egbuka going forward.

Egbuka brought in four of seven targets for 64 yards in the Buccaneers' 29-28 loss to the Falcons on Thursday night.

Well, it's better than the previous two weeks. Egbuka wasn't great, but he was involved even with Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returning from injury Thursday. Still, it's another statline that pales in comparison to what his early success looked like, and it's fair to wonder if those numbers are going to come again in 2025. The next chance to do so comes in a massive matchup for the Bucs against the Panthers in Week 16.

He will be on "somewhat of a pitch count" coming back from the collarbone injury. That's good news for fantasy managers who were relying on Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka in Week 15, but it makes Evans a bit of a risky start in his first week off injured reserve. Evans probably belongs on the WR4/FLEX line if you're going to play him, though the promise that he'll be out there on "the big downs" is promising.

Count on rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka to get back on track against a Falcons defense that has struggled to limit volume to receivers since returning from their bye.