Who Should I Start? Chris Godwin or Ja'Marr Chase

Monday, June 9, 6:14 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said the team is hopeful that wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) will be ready for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season this fall after dislocating his ankle last year. Bowles said that Godwin has been working hard ahead of this week's mandatory minicamp. The 29-year-old was on his way to a career year and had five touchdowns in seven games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2024. He took less money to return to Tampa in the offseason on a three-year, $66 million deal in March. With offensive coordinator Liam Coen now out of town and Godwin coming off a serious ankle injury, fantasy managers have plenty of reasons to be skeptical that he'll look as good as he did before his injury last year. Perhaps the biggest threat to Godwin's workload in 2025 is rookie first-round wideout Emeka Egbuka.

Sunday, March 16, 11:33 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase to a four-year, $161 million deal with $112 million guaranteed on Sunday to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. The 25-year-old All-Pro wideout is now under contract with the Bengals for the next five years for $182.816 million. The former fifth overall pick in 2021 out of LSU was deserving of the record contract after leading the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), touchdowns (17) and yards per game (100.5) in 17 games (16 starts) for the Bengals in his fourth year in the league in 2024. Chase has now been a Pro Bowler in each of his four years in the NFL and has put up at least 1,046 yards and seven touchdowns every year. With Tee Higgins also coming back and with Joe Burrow throwing him the football, Chase will be the unquestioned top receiver in fantasy this fall.