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When will Mike Evans return and play? Will Mike Evans be back again this season? Read the latest Mike Evans injury updates and return date for Week 9 (2025).
The wide receiver position has been ravaged by injuries in fantasy football this season. One player who has felt the effects of those injuries is Mike Evans.
Evans has suffered through two different injuries this season that have cost him multiple games. Fantasy managers drafted him expecting consistent production from one of the best wide receivers in the last decade, but they have gotten anything but that.
When will Mike Evans return to the lineup? Can fantasy managers hold him going forward? Read below to find out.
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Mike Evans Injury Update
2025 has been a rough season for Evans. The veteran receiver missed three weeks due to a hamstring injury but was able to return in Week 7. Unfortunately, Evans had a hard landing on a contested deep target that immediately took him out of the game.
Evans was quickly ruled out with a concussion, but it was clear there was an additional injury as well. Scans in the locker room confirmed a broken collarbone that would require surgery to repair.
#Bucs WR Mike Evans is set for surgery this week to repair his broken collarbone, sources say, a clean break that should have Evans back in eight weeks or fewer. pic.twitter.com/3tBhmvp8LO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2025
Initial reports indicated that Evans was expected to miss six to eight weeks healing from the injury and subsequent surgery. After the injury, head coach Todd Bowles stated that Evans was expected to be out “mostly toward the end of the year,” which indicates that there is optimism he can return if the Buccaneers make a playoff push.
Mike Evans Fantasy Football Outlook
Based on the timeline listed above (six to eight weeks), the earliest that Evans can return to the field is the first week of December. At best, that would mean a Week 14 return for fantasy managers.
That makes Evans impossible to trust in fantasy. He is still worth rostering (especially in leagues with a deep bench or an injured reserve spot) since there is a chance that he can return to the fantasy playoffs. During that three-game stretch (Weeks 15 to 17), the Buccaneers have matchups against Atlanta (bad), Carolina (good), and Miami (good).
For managers with players on injured reserve who are expected to return sooner (or those with short benches), Evans is a droppable option in fantasy. A Week 14 return as a best-case scenario can derail fantasy seasons for teams that need bench depth due to bye weeks.
If fantasy managers are looking for a piece to add from the Buccaneers’ passing attack, then rookie Tez Johnson is worth rostering. Johnson earned a 17.6% target share over his last two games, catching nine passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Tez Johnson scores on the screen pass!
TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/fLNxdLnDPm— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025
Other wide receiver options that are worth considering on the waiver wire are New England Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte (49% rostered on Yahoo), Denver Broncos receiver Troy Franklin (45%), Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson (27%), and Tennessee Titans receiver Chimere Dike (16%).
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kimani Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Quentin Johnston, Tez Johnson, Jordan Mason, Wan'Dale Robinson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kimani Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Quentin Johnston, Tez Johnson, Jordan Mason, Wan'Dale Robinson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kimani Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Quentin Johnston, Tez Johnson, Jordan Mason, Wan'Dale Robinson compared to others:
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