Who Should I Start? Brock Bowers or Emeka Egbuka

Friday, February 20, 10:01 AM

After a record-breaking rookie campaign in 2024, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers battled through injury and a less-than-ideal offensive environment in 2025. Across 12 games, Bowers recorded 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 targets. The 23-year-old suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that he battled through for multiple months before finally being shut down and ending the season on Injured Reserve. However, Bowers should be fully healthy for the start of the 2026 season. The Raiders could also have an improved team around him, as the team appears likely to select University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Las Vegas also made coaching staff changes, bringing in former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach. With renewed health and a better supporting cast, Bowers should return to elite fantasy tight end status in 2026 and beyond.

Thursday, February 19, 9:00 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka came out of the gates as a clear favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, racking up 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the first five games of his career. Unfortunately, a Week 6 hamstring tweak and an inexplicable lack of chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield limited him to only 493 yards and one touchdown over his next 12 games. While neither Egbuka nor Mayfield missed a start, they were both clearly affected by injury at points throughout the year. With Chris Godwin Jr., Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan in and out of the lineup with injuries of their own, Egbuka was never able to find a late-season rhythm as he worked to break through the rookie wall. Mike Evans has recently suggested he would be open to continuing his career outside of Tampa Bay, which could open a massive opportunity for Egbuka in year two. However, if the Buccaneers run it back in 2026 with the same foursome atop the depth chart, he may still struggle to find a consistent role and be viewed as a better-in-best-ball wideout.