Jalen McMillan DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Trey Palmer (concussion) have been ruled out of the Thursday Night Football contest against the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. McMillan suffered a hamstring injury in last Friday's practice and did not play in Week 4, while Palmer suffered a concussion in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles. With both wideouts banged up, veteran receiver Sterling Shepard caught three passes for 51 yards. He has since been signed to the active roster following last week's practice-squad elevation, so he should occupy the WR3 role behind Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in Thursday's NFC South clash. Shepard is not a great option for traditional leagues, but he can be utilized as a desperation flex play in deeper setups.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Trey Palmer (concussion) did not practice on Tuesday. Both players are significant depth pieces for the Buccaneers at wide receiver. Their lack of participation Tuesday does not bode well for their ability to play on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons. McMillan already missed Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. His absence forced Palmer to step up. Palmer recorded three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown while filling in for McMillan. If neither player can go on Thursday, the Buccaneers will likely turn to Sterling Shepard and Kameron Johnson (ankle) for depth at wide receiver. What this news most likely means is that Mike Evans (knee/calf) and Chris Godwin should see the lion's share of targets in Week 5.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Mike Evans (knee, calf), Jalen McMillan (hamstring), and Trey Palmer (concussion) all sat out of Monday's practice session. It's worth noting that Monday's practice is an estimation since the team didn't hold an official practice. The biggest concern here is Evans who played through a knee issue last week. It didn't seem to bother him on the field as he secured eight receptions for 94 yards in the win. This is likely more about getting the veteran wideout some rest ahead of the Thursday night matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. McMillan sat out on Sunday, which moved Palmer into a bigger role, but he was forced to exit early due to a concussion. If both players sit out on Thursday, Sterling Shepard and tight end Cade Otton figure to have bigger roles on offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan (hamstring) is officially out for Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles after he was listed as doubtful on the final injury report on Friday. McMillan tweaked his hamstring during practice on Friday and will miss the first game of his career after going for three receptions on six targets for 59 yards and one touchdown in his first three games. He has averaged 19.7 yards receiving per game and has effectively become the No. 3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. But for Sunday's game at Raymond James Stadium, expect Trey Palmer to take over McMillan's duties against Philly. It's unclear if McMillan will be able to return on a short week in Week 5 versus the Atlanta Falcons next Thursday. For now, McMillan is merely a deep-league stash for fantasy managers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Friday and is now doubtful to be able to play in Week 4 on Sunday against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. McMillan was officially listed as limited in Friday's practice. Mike Evans (knee) and Chris Godwin (neck) were also on this week's injury report, but the two wideouts have since been cleared to play this weekend. With McMillan now unlikely to face Philly, Trey Palmer will step in as the team's WR3 for at least one week in a very nice matchup. The second-year wideout has only seen three targets through the first three weeks, catching one of them for a 19-yard gain, so he'll only be a deep WR4/flex sleeper worth considering in much deeper fantasy leagues this week. McMillan has exactly one catch in each of his first three NFL games, going for 59 yards and one touchdown.