Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Kendrick Bourne

Monday, March 4, 2:02 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans agreed to a two-year, $52 million deal on Monday that includes $35 million guaranteed, according to his agent Deryk Gilmore. Evans now has a real chance to start and finish his career in Tampa. Evans hasn't really slowed down at all entering his age-31 season this fall, as he has yet to finish any one of his 10 seasons in the NFL with the Bucs under 1,000 yards receiving. He made his fifth Pro Bowl in 2023 and finished with 79 receptions (136 targets) for 1255 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games to help quarterback Baker Mayfield to the best season of his career. While Evans is likely to regress in the TD department in 2024, there's no reason to believe he'll finish under 1,000 receiving yards as long as he stays healthy, especially if Tampa also re-signs Mayfield.

Sunday, March 10, 9:22 PM

Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne agreed to a new deal to remain in New England. The contract is for three years, and he'll be eligible to earn up to $33 million. The 28-year-old amassed 406 yards and four touchdowns off 37 catches last season. However, despite appearing on track for a career year, Bourne suffered a torn ACL during the AFC East battle with the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. Fortunately, he should be ready to go for the 2024-25 campaign. But with a new head coach in the equation and Mac Jones out of the picture, Bourne could have a tough time finding his rhythm. His knee injury is also something fantasy managers should keep in the back of their heads. Yet, while reaching for him during fantasy drafts heading into the new season isn't recommended, he's worth grabbing if he's available later than expected.