Scotty Miller (WR, TB) - Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brady Grove discusses newly emergent Bucs receiver Scotty Miller as a potential waiver wire acquisition of value for Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues

ROSTERED: 4% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: We have seen only a limited sample of Scotty Miller as an NFL wide receiver since the start of 2019 following his standout career at Bowling Green State, but with Tom Brady under center in Tampa Bay and a hodgepodge of question-mark-players littered throughout the Buccaneer offense, the picture is already starting to form as to the type of player he can become and what exactly he offers from week to week. In the Week One matchup with New Orleans, Miller was targeted six times and caught five passes for 73 yards, going for a team-high 14.6 yards per reception. Miller finished behind only Chris Godwin for Tampa in targets, catches, and receiving yards, but the context surrounding Miller's role on the new-look Bucs is where the rub comes in.

Tom Brady had his fair share of struggles in his first game in about two decades as a non-Patriot, while the perennially top-tier Mike Evans (who is notably questionable for this week's showdown with Carolina) was largely shut down by the Saints Defense. O.J. Howard was a solid contributor, but his place on the roster is in flux following swirling trade rumors and the arrival of international man of mystery Rob Gronkowski, who is still adjusting to the new environment. To further muddy the waters, the backfield sports accomplished pass-catching backs LeSean McCoy and Leonard Fournette, and the surface has barely been scratched as to how those two will be utilized moving forward.

Even when you take all of that uncertainty and reasoning for skepticism into account, the prognosis still comes out rather favorable for Scotty. There is no guarantee that the likes of McCoy, Gronk, or even Fournette will pan out in their crowded new situations; and can you even count how many versatile, slept-on wide receivers (especially from the slot) that Tom Brady has connected with for excellent on-field results over his career? Indeed, Tom Brady was already gushing publicly about what Miller offers during training camp when Miller was fighting for his spot in the lineup. Godwin and Evans are definitely the two best receivers in the core, and it is a real possibility that McCoy, Fournette, Gronk, and/or Howard all settle in to a sustainable niche; but in earning the confidence of Tom Brady in a role Brady loves to dial up, Scotty Miller might've just fallen into the best possible situation to jump-start his career.