Chris Godwin has been working to get back from an ACL tear all offseason, and his status for the Buccaneers’ Week 1 matchup against the Cowboys will come right down to game time. Godwin is officially “questionable” for the Sunday Night Football showdown, and his availability will have a big effect on fantasy WR rankings and start ’em, sit ’em decisions. Knowing the latest injury updates — and who benefits if Godwin is out — will be key ahead of one of your last lineup calls of the week.
We’ll continue to update this article with news on Godwin up until the official active/inactive report comes out on Sunday around 6:50 p.m. ET.
WEEK 1 INJURY UPDATES:
Wide Receivers | Tight ends | Dobbins | Walker
Is Chris Godwin playing on Sunday night?
UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Godwin is expected to play against Dallas.
The news on Godwin (knee) has been all over the place this past week. At one point, he practiced without his leg sleeve and got in a full session, but he also missed practice on Thursday and his coach said the veteran receiver will be a game-time decision.
MORE SNF: DraftKings lineup | FanDuel lineup
It’s fair to assume that even if Godwin plays, he’ll likely see fewer snaps than usual. For a running back, that could be the difference between whether they’re in your lineup or on your bench, but for a wide receiver, it’s not necessarily prohibitive. As we always say with WRs, “it only takes one” for them to pay off. That’s why we still have Godwin ranked No. 32 among WRs in standard and PPR leagues. He’ll continue to be active around the goal line, and in Tampa’s high-powered offense, he’s always a candidate to score and get a decent amount of catches.
WEEK 1 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
If Godwin is out, it would really boost the outlooks of Russell Gage (assuming he plays through a hamstring injury), Julio Jones, and possibly TE Cameron Brate. Jones is already a decent flex option in his Bucs’ debut, but no Godwin would bump him up to a low-end WR3/high-end flex. Gage, who’s also “questionable,” might actually benefit more, especially in PPR leagues, jumping up to a solid flex. Brate is a TD-or-bust option who would have a little more value in DFS contests.
WEEK 1 PPR FANTASY RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
Godwin’s potential absence doesn’t really affect Tom Brady, who still has plenty of viable weapons to throw to, or Mike Evans, who’s the No. 1 receiver regardless.
Hits: 0
