Fantasy Upside
Mike Evans is Tampa Bay’s first-round draft pick this year, so he’s expected to get significant playing time during his rookie season. He was the seventh overall selection in May because of the numbers he put up at Texas A&M. He was first-team All-SEC in both 2012 and 2013 as well as a consensus All-American in 2013. Evans will come into Tampa after the departure of Mike Williams, who put up good numbers during his years with the Bucs. Evans is coming in as a better prospect and could possibly improve on the numbers Williams had.
Fantasy Downside
It’s always a risk selecting a rookie in redraft leagues. You never know if they will be able to learn the playbook quickly enough or if they will adapt to the speed of the NFL. Only one rookie receiver last year (Keenan Allen) surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. Only one other rookie (DeAndre Hopkins) had more than 800 yards receiving.
Bottom Line
Evans enters a nice fantasy situation with the Bucs. He gets to play opposite of Vincent Jackson, which should open him up for more looks. Not only is he in a good opportunity, but he has the talent to put up some big numbers as well. At 6-foot-5 and 225 lbs, Evans is a big target for quarterback Josh McCown. He’s a promising rookie in a good place. It's best to draft him as a WR3 or as a flex.
