Got a big playoff game this week -- OK it's a 3rd-place game, but there's some decent money for that too -- but sadly, one of my stars, Chris Godwin, has already been ruled out. Getting Breshad Perriman would have been nice, but that didn't happen. Who to play?
If you're scouring the waiver wire to replace someone like Godwin, you're probably looking at some similar types of names. Russell Gage, Anthony Miller, etc. But I'm considering Tampa Bay's No. 2 Justin Watson -- the default No. 2 with Mike Evans and Scott Miller on IR and Godwin out. Just how good might his matchup be?
Houston, who the Bucs are facing this week, has a bottom-5 pass defense and has allowed 30 touchdown passes; more than 2 per game. That's why Perriman, the team's current No. 1 wideout, is ranked so highly on our board. The question is whether the favorable matchup will extend to the team's 2nd-best wideout.
Below are the week-by-week numbers posted by each team's 2nd-best wideout against Houston this season. (With T.Y. Hilton, he played limited snaps in the game where I've listed him as the No. 2.
| NO. 2 WIDE RECEIVERS VERSUS HOUSTON | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD |
| Ted Ginn | 7 | 7 | 101 | 0 |
| Chris Conley | 5 | 4 | 73 | 0 |
| Mike Williams | 7 | 3 | 45 | 0 |
| Curtis Samuel | 7 | 3 | 32 | 0 |
| Calvin Ridley | 9 | 5 | 88 | 1 |
| Mecole Hardman | 4 | 4 | 45 | 0 |
| Zach Pascal | 7 | 6 | 106 | 2 |
| Hunter Renfrow | 4 | 4 | 88 | 1 |
| Keelan Cole | 6 | 5 | 80 | 0 |
| Seth Roberts | 1 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 6 | 3 | 18 | 0 |
| Jakobi Meyers | 7 | 3 | 46 | 0 |
| Tim Patrick | 3 | 2 | 50 | 0 |
| Corey Davis | 6 | 3 | 57 | 0 |
| Average | 6 | 4 | 60 | 0.4 |
In 14 games, you're looking at an average of 6 targets, 4 catches, 60 yards, and about a 40 percent chance of that guy catching a touchdown.
Is it enough to put Watson into a lineup? Well, he's not Godwin. And the Bucs might throw to their tight ends and perhaps their running backs more. Watson also disappointed last week, catching just 2 passes for 17 yards. He was solid the previous week, catching 5 for 59 and a touchdown in the win over the Colts.
Right now, I'm leaning Watson, but Gage is also in the running. Bucs play on Saturday, so I've only got a day to make up my mind.
--Andy Richardson