NBA Best Bets of the Day (12/2)
Alex Christenson
The Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be keeping one of their key offensive weapons in the fold for 2021, placing the franchise tag on impending free agent Chris Godwin Tuesday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Buccaneers informed WR Chris Godwin he is being franchise tagged, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2021
Godwin, the team’s third-round pick in 2017, had his breakout in 2019 when he had 86 receptions on 121 targets for 1,333 yards and 9 touchdowns. He struggled with injury a bit in 2020, playing only 12 games, but he still managed 840 yards and 7 scored on 65 receptions (84 targets). He had a couple of big games in the Bucs’ playoff run, with 79 yards and a score in the Wild Card game and 110 yards in the Conference Championship game.
Godwin, who just turned 25, was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All Pro in 2019. The move also means the team's other top free agents, including Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett, won't be tagged.
Fantasy slant: Bruce Arians wasn't lying during the Buccaneers' Super Bowl celebration. Chris Godwin is staying with Tampa Bay for another year after the franchise slapped him with the tag. While it would have been fun to speculate Godwin's landing spot and the fantasy implications, his return to Tom Brady's loving arms is a fine outcome. After returning in Week 10 from a finger fracture, Godwin was the WR14 in fantasy points per game (17.0, PPR). The Buccaneers were the third-pass-heaviest team in neutral scripts last season, throwing on 63% of their plays. Don't expect that to change in 2021. Godwin will again be a top-20 fantasy option at the receiver position next season.
(Jeff Ratcliffe goes through all the franchise tag news here)
