When is Chris Godwin coming back? Is Chris Godwin out for the season? Read about Chris Godwin's return date and injury updates for 2025 as of Week 2.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) has been shut down since suffering a dislocated ankle during their Week 7 contest against the Ravens last season.
During training camp, Godwin was progressing well and did not appear in line to miss the majority of the upcoming season. He's currently injured but not on IR, and is expected to return in the next few weeks.
So when is Godwin coming back? What will be the fantasy football implications once he does? Let's dive in!
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Chris Godwin Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Before their opening game against the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend, the Falcons opted not to place Godwin on the injured reserve, which keeps the door open for an early return. However, prior to the contest, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Godwin and the Buccaneers are eyeing a Week 5 return.
However, Rapaport noted that a Week 6 or 7 return could also be in the works if he were to face a setback.
While he is yet to return to practice, seeing the team continue to keep him off the IR suggests he is not expected to miss the majority of the season and is likely to return during the first half. Despite being held out of practice last week, Godwin was able to pass his physical in late August, which is a positive sign regarding his long-term outlook this season.
If Godwin can return to practice by next week, he should be in line to meet his target date of Week 5.
The #Bucs will be without WR Chris Godwin today, as he recovers from a second surgery on his ankle, this time to tighten up hardware. Sources tell me and @judybattista he should return to practice soon and Week 5 is the target for a return. W6 or 7 is also possible. It’s coming. pic.twitter.com/io0XRi53Q4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2025
Chris Godwin Fantasy Football Outlook
Even if the 29-year-old does not run until Weeks 6/7, he will still carry immense fantasy value when he returns. Before his injury last season, Godwin was on pace to enjoy a WR1 campaign. Through the first six weeks, the former third-round pick averaged 20.7 PPR points per game.
During this dominant stretch, Godwin saw 8.8 targets per game and tallied 85.2 yards per game.
Even though there is added competition with top wide receiver prospect Emeka Egbuka joining the depth chart, Godwin should still jump to the No. 2 spot in the offense, alongside future Hall of Famer Mike Evans.
In 2023, during a full season with Baker Mayfield under center, Godwin tallied 1,024 yards on 83 receptions. During this season, he saw the second-most targets of his career.
Even if Egbuka continues to develop and carves out a significant role, Godwin should still produce, given the passing volume this offense can sustain. He should have ample opportunities in the red zone, given the talent on the team, and should carry high-end WR2 value in PPR format as soon as he returns to the field.
He remains a must-stash in all leagues heading into Week 2 of the season.
Chris Godwin with the catch and the stretch for the TD!
📺: #WASvsTB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/RKSftFVMxh— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
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 2 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Chris Olave, Rome Odunze, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Chubb, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Stefon Diggs. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 2. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 2 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 2 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Chris Olave, Rome Odunze, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Chubb, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Stefon Diggs. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 2.
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 2 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 2 (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 2 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 2 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Chris Olave, Rome Odunze, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Chubb, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Stefon Diggs compared to others:
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