Dynasty Dilemmas - Chris Godwin 

By Tim Lazenby

A lot is changing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into the 2022 NFL Season.  None bigger than the retirement of legendary Tom Brady, but there are many impending free agents, such as Leonard Fournette and the focus today, Chris Godwin.

The Reason to Sell

No one can deny how good Chris Godwin is.  Despite being part of a three headed receiving monster for the Buccaneers, his numbers showed better.  And even with all his success, people are wondering what to do with this phenom from Penn State.

Impending free agency

There are many question marks surrounding Godwin and one of them is his status as a free agent.  The problem is wondering where he’ll play next season is big enough, but more than that, who’s throwing the ball?  Even if he resigns, the person under center in Tampa Bay is in flux.  Will it be Kyle Trask, Blaine Gabbert or one of the coveted names like Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson?  Only time will tell and that makes people nervous.  Uncertainty causes even the most iron willed to shudder.

The big injury

Science today is incredible.  The recovery time from massive injuries isn’t what it used to be, even ten years ago.  Players who wouldn’t play until the next season are sometimes back on the field part way through it.  But some are more severe than others.  Chris Godwin’s injury timetable puts him at six to nine months, but that’s only an estimate.  Do we really want to invest such a price on someone who may not be ready?

The Reason to Buy

I’m going to make a statement.  Chris Godwin may be the most underrated receiver in the NFL, when it comes to top talent.  He doesn’t receive the praise that many of his peers do who are at similar talent levels.  Here are some reasons to snag him.

Price point

If it weren’t for the question marks mentioned earlier, there is no doubt in my mind he wouldn’t be so cheap.  I’ve seen him go as low as the eighth round in start up dynasty drafts and next to no trades for him in established ones.  It’s simply baffling to see the value so low for what he can do.  And the lack of trade movement is equally shocking.

Established Talent

Consistency is the name of the game.  Although he’s probably not going to be the WR1 in any format, he is a solid choice for a WR2, flirting for top status.  With the exception of his rookie season, he averages out at 14 points per game in PPR formats.  Now that Antonio Brown is gone, you can only imagine how much more successful he’ll be.

Verdict

In case you aren’t aware of his value, last season, he finished as WR17 in PPR, despite missing four games.  On a points per game basis, that ties him with underrated Diontae Johnson.  Here is a list of key players that finished lower:  Stefon Diggs, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Waddle, AJ Brown and CeeDee Lamb.  All of whom are routinely above Godwin in dynasty rankings.

He’s only 25 years old, playing in a red hot offense, and now with less players to take his targets.  Proven consistency and a chance to head up to the next tier of greatness makes this a simple decision.  He’ll never be this cheap again and it’d be foolish to ignore the value.  Make the right decision and don’t look back.