RADIO
Should I start Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka for Week 15? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Winning is no longer an option for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; it's a necessity. They started the season 6-2, with victories over contenders such as the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers.
However, the annual Todd Bowles midseason slump has hit them hard this year. They've lost four of their last five following their bye week, and look like a shell of their former selves. But there's some light at the end of the tunnel. Mike Evans is set to return, which will help Baker Mayfield return to his best alongside Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka. There's also a chance that Jalen McMillan plays his first game of the regular season, as he's been activated from the Injured Reserve list.
Without further ado, let's look at my fantasy outlook for each player and determine whether they're worth starting in Week 15 of the 2025 season.
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
Should I Start Mike Evans in Week 15?
NFL legend Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Jets, and he also broke his clavicle in his return game against the Lions in Week 7.
Todd Bowles gives an update on injuries and says Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan have looked good in practice but haven’t had any contact. Both are in play for Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/nb7Nb3Fu4W
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) December 10, 2025
Evans has never been the most durable player in the league (especially regarding his hamstring injuries), but he's always managed to play in enough games to extend his yearly 1,000-yard streak.
However, that's pretty much out of the question this season, so Evans will have to stay focused on just one goal: helping his team climb out of this slump and win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season.
"When he's out there, we know that from the defensive coordinator's perspective, that him being on the field deserves attention," said Bucs OC Josh Grizzard in a press conference on Tuesday. "It could be a double in man coverage where they could have the safety over the top, which ultimately creates a softer coverage away from it."
Evans' gravity will open up opportunities for Godwin, Egbuka, and McMillan, but that is not to say that he won't be peppered with targets. He's still the team's WR1 as Baker Mayfield's "safety blanket" and will be a solid fantasy option.
Should I Start Chris Godwin in Week 15?
Mike Evans' partner in crime for the last nine seasons, Chris Godwin has had terrible injury luck since 2024. Godwin dislocated his ankle in Week 7 of the 2024 season and missed the first three weeks of 2025 due to the same injury.
He clearly did not look right in his return and was out for the next five games after playing in just two games. However, it looks like Godwin is finally back to his best, despite injuries to the offensive line and Baker Mayfield.
Godwin has led the Bucs in receiving in each of their last two games, catching eight of his 13 targets for 133 yards. He's been the PPR WR26 over the last two weeks, putting up solid outings in an otherwise stagnant passing offense.
Evans' return will be huge for Godwin. It'll be the first time that he'll play alongside Evans since 2024, when he was the PPR WR1 through the first six weeks before getting injured. Godwin is the safest Buccaneers WR to start during the fantasy playoffs, and could provide league-winning value.
Should I Start Emeka Egbuka in Week 15?
What is there to be said about Emeka Egbuka that disgruntled fantasy managers haven't already said? The rookie Egbuka set the fantasy world alight in the first five weeks of the campaign, racking up 102.4 PPR points, which ranked him as the WR3.
EMEKA EGBUKA. THE ROOKIE. AGAIN.
TBvsATL on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/pLyQEvaSG4
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
However, Egbuka has averaged just 8.9 PPR points since then, and he's been outperformed by fellow rookie teammate, Tez Johnson. There are many things that have contributed to his decline. He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6, but didn't miss any time as he played through the injury.
Baker Mayfield has also been playing through injuries, and the absence of Evans and Godwin for most of this stretch hasn't helped Egbuka. His confidence appears to have been affected now that he's been thrust into the WR1 role, with multiple crucial drops that have cost his team dearly.
However, now that he's back to being the third option, he can start to rebuild his confidence again, knowing full well that the coaching staff will have his back.
"We have all the confidence in the world in him," OC Josh Grizzard said. We’re going to try to get it to him early, often, with the game on the line."
HC Todd Bowles also shares the same sentiment. "We trust him completely," Bowles said in a press conference on Monday. "He's hard on himself, and he'll come back from that, and he'll play better." Egbuka is no longer a fantasy WR1, but he could provide solid flex value moving forward.
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 15 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Emeka Egbuka. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 15. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 15 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 15 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 15.
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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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, enhanced search results with data to compare, and 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 circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 15 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 15 (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 15 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 15 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
