Emeka Egbuka is dealing with a toe injury entering his second NFL season, but that hasn't stopped one fantasy analyst from buying into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver.
Kyle Soppe of Pro Football Network believes Egbuka's injury has helped push his draft price down and could create value for fantasy managers willing to spend an early fourth-round pick on him.
Egbuka showed exactly what his fantasy ceiling could look like early in his rookie season. He scored five touchdowns over his first five NFL games and recorded a reception of at least 30 yards in four of them. His production eventually slowed, but Soppe believes the early stretch showed enough to warrant betting on Egbuka again in 2026.
The situation around him has changed, too. Mike
Evans is no longer in Tampa Bay, leaving behind a major role in the Buccaneers' passing game. Soppe doesn't view Chris Godwin or Jalen McMillan as a threat big enough to keep Egbuka from becoming Baker Mayfield's primary target.
The biggest concern right now is Egbuka's toe, and whether he will be good for Week 1. The injury has lingered since August and creates some uncertainty about how quickly he'll be able to get going. Soppe isn't ignoring that risk, but he also doesn't believe it should scare fantasy managers away at Egbuka's current price. Egbuka is also expected to practice this coming week to prep for week one's matchup against the Bengals.
"You know what doesn't happen out of the gates? You don't have byes," Soppe wrote while explaining why he's comfortable taking on the early-season risk.
His argument is essentially that fantasy managers should have enough depth early in the year to survive a slow start or even a missed game. What matters more is having Egbuka healthy later in the season when bye weeks pile up, and fantasy playoff races begin to take shape.
Soppe also sees considerable upside if Egbuka does emerge as Tampa Bay's top receiver. He pointed to Evans' 1,000-yard, 11-touchdown season in 2024 as a reasonable type of production for Egbuka to chase, while suggesting his yardage ceiling could be even higher.
There is obvious risk attached to drafting a receiver already dealing with an injury. At his current fourth-round price, though, Soppe believes Egbuka's long-term upside is worth the gamble.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs star Emeka Egbuka could be a fourth-round steal in fantasy drafts
