The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have ruled out their top wide receiver, Emeka Egbuka, for Week 7. He was dealing with a concussion and a foot injury. Because he has a concussion, we don't really know much about the foot injury, as he has not been able to practice. This was always the likely outcome once he was put in the league's concussion protocol on Monday, which he was not able to clear.
This is a tough break for Egbuka and a tough loss for fantasy football owners. He stepped up with Jalon Daniels under center, catching seven of 16 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown last week, and finding the end zone in back-to-back weeks.
His numbers haven't been incredible, but he did more than expected with an undrafted rookie backup quarterback. It would have been nice to have him in our lineups this week with Baker Mayfield back on the field. Egbuka's focus will now turn to getting back on the field in Week 8. The concussion seems to be the bigger issue than the foot injury.
Hurst is the next man up and should be picked up immediately if he's sitting on the waiver wire. He will likely see his offensive snaps jump to about 80%, and he is coming off a week in which he saw six targets, catching three of them for 40 yards.
We love the opportunity, but he should still be considered a risky flex option. He's still a rookie third-round pick whose career-high in receiving is 40 yards. That doesn't mean that he can't have a breakout game, but it's also not safe to bank on a career day. You can start him in your flex; just manage your expectations and hope he reaches his upside.
Godwin has had a decent floor this season, but very little upside. He hasn't scored a touchdown and has maxed out at 46 yards. There is a chance that his ceiling will rise with Egbuka ruled out.
However, there is also a chance that the 30-year-old receiver just doesn't have that much left in the tank. He should see a boost in PPR leagues, but we still don't see him having much upside otherwise.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy Football Injury Impact: Emeka Egbuka Is Ruled OUT For Week 7, Opening The Door For Ted Hurst III .
