Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
The 2021 NFL free agency period is about to kick off, and this year’s class of WRs is absolutely loaded. One of the elite WRs potentially hitting free agency is Chris Godwin.
Godwin will be 25 when the next season starts and has played his entire four-year career in Tampa Bay, culminating with a Super Bowl win last season. But where will Godwin play in 2021? Where should fantasy football players be rooting for him to land … and where they should be rooting for him to avoid?
This article will examine Godwin’s best and worst free agency landing spots from a fantasy football perspective. We’ll try to stick with realistic teams.
Chris Godwin’s journey to free agency
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Godwin managed only 12 games in 2020 due to an array of injuries, including a broken hand, but will still an every-week fantasy starter when healthy. Godwin has also proven to be an excellent touchdown scorer, notching 23 TDs over the last three seasons despite not being the first red-zone read in his offense.Godwin’s rise to fantasy prominence started in 2018, when he was an emerging second-year player who was clearly flashing big-time upside. He really arrived in 2019, dropping 1,333 yards and nine scores on 86 receptions.
Godwin is a rock-solid fantasy WR2 with WR1 capabilities, and he’s able to serve as a WR1 or elite WR2 on any team in the NFL.
Best landing spots for Chris Godwin for fantasy football
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This seems like the most likely landing spot for Godwin, and it would be great for his fantasy value. There was chatter leading into 2020 that Tom Brady’s arrival in Tampa would be a big blow to Godwin’s value, but that didn’t pan out. His 16-game pace was 86 receptions (same as 2019), 1,120 yards (200 fewer than 2019), and 9 TDs (same as 2019). The yardage was a bit less, but everything else was the same — still elite fantasy production. Staying in Tampa with Brady has to be one of Godwin’s best-case scenarios.
Miami Dolphins: Godwin in Miami would be fun. He would not have to take on the entire load of the offense, as DeVante Parker has proven himself capable of handling outside WR duties, and Mike Gesicki emerged as a legitimate receiving threat at TE last season. The QB situation is a little questionable, but Tua Tagovailoa was a stud college QB, and we shouldn’t read too much into a shaky rookie season. Godwin fills a positional need and would see ample volume and a potential boost in red zone usage in Miami compared to Tampa.
Worst landing spots for Chris Godwin for fantasy football
New England Patriots: It’s hard to watch the 2020 Patriots offense and think the 2021 version is going to be much better. The team will likely pass more if Cam Newton is not the QB, which would be a good thing for WR fantasy production, but the Pats seem destined to be one of the worst offenses in the league again next season, even if they add a big name like Godwin. Of the WR-needy teams, NE is the WR-neediest, but also probably the worst for any player for fantasy purposes.
New York Jets: No WR is going to really want to join the Jets unless it’s all about the money. They are the only offense in the NFL that might be worse than the Patriots. Their QB situation is a mess and the team is in a complete rebuild. Godwin would be “OK” from a fantasy standpoint if he landed here thanks to heavy volume playing as the WR1 on a team that will always be losing, but he could definitely do better.
