McMillan performed like a star toward the end of his rookie campaign in 2024, but a lot has changed since then. We consider McMillan a No. 4 Fantasy receiver at best, and he's only worth a late-round pick in the majority of leagues. Last year, McMillan closed the season with seven touchdowns in his final five games, and he scored at least 16.7 PPR points in each outing. Chris Godwin was out with an ankle injury, but he figures to be back sooner than later. Along with that, Tampa Bay spent a first-round pick on rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, and he could have a bigger role this season than McMillan. For now, go into training camp with McMillan as the No. 3 receiver for the Buccaneers behind Mike Evans and Godwin, and we'll see what happens with Egbuka. McMillan certainly showed off his skills and had a solid rapport with Baker Mayfield, but Tampa Bay's receiving room got crowded, which could make things tough on McMillan to be a productive Fantasy option this season.
The Buccaneers are expected to place McMillan (neck) on injured reserve when they finalize the 53-man roster, which will force him to miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said that McMillan suffered a "severely sprained neck" during Saturday's preseason win over Pittsburgh, and the wideout's recovery timetable could stretch beyond the team's Week 9 bye. With Chris Godwin (ankle) still uncertain for Week 1 and a candidate to miss time early in the season, six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans and rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka appear primed to open the regular season as quarterback Baker Mayfield's top two receivers, while tight end Cade Otton stands to also benefit from an uptick in target volume.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: To miss start of season
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Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that McMillan has a severe neck strain and "is going to miss some time", Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Bowles added that McMillan's injury isn't expected to be career-threatening, per Stroud. That's welcome news after the wideout was undercut by a Steelers defender during Saturday's preseason game and landed hard on his neck and head. It remains to be seen whether the Buccaneers will place McMillan on IR when the 53-man roster is finalized, which would force him to sit out at least the first four weeks of the regular season. With Chris Godwin (ankle) still on the active/PUP list and also iffy for the start of the campaign, Mike Evans, rookie first-rounder Emeka Egbuka and tight end Cade Otton are likely to be Baker Mayfield's top downfield options in Week 1 against the Falcons, and possibly beyond.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Sidelined at practice
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McMillan (back/neck) is not participating in practice Tuesday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McMillan is present at Tuesday's practice, but he's watching from the sidelines while still wearing a neck brace, Mark Skol of Fox 13 News reports. The second-year pro is working his way back from an injury suffered due to a rough landing during last Saturday's preseason win over Pittsburgh, when he was undercut by a defender while making a leaping catch. He's likely to sit out Tampa Bay's preseason finale against Buffalo on Saturday, Aug. 23.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Dons neck brace
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McMillan (back) was spotted wearing a neck brace after Saturday's 17-14 preseason win at Pittsburgh, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
At the end of his 18-yard leaping catch in the first quarter, McMillan was undercut by a Steelers defender and landed hard on his neck and head region. He was able to walk to the sideline under his own power before being ruled out due to a back issue, while also being evaluated for a concussion. It's unclear if McMillan has been diagnosed with a head injury, but it seems likely that he'll miss some time with just one preseason game to go (Saturday, Aug. 23 against the Bills) ahead of Week 1.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Long catch in preseason opener
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McMillan recorded one catch on one target for 21 yards in Saturday's 29-7 preseason win over the Titans.
McMillan started the game due to Mike Evans (rest) and Chris Godwin (ankle) both being sidelined. He made an instant impact on the game, catching a long 25-yard pass from Kyle Trask down the middle of the field on the first play of the game. McMillan has increased competition for targets and playing time from rookie Emeka Egbuka, but the former should still have a role in the regular season -- particularly if Godwin isn't ready for Week 1.
McMillan is part of a crowded WR room that just added Emeka Egbuka with the 19th overall draft pick.
One might assume no concerns about job security for a 2024 third-round pick who scored seven TDs over the final five weeks of his initial NFL regular season. Unfortunately for McMillan, there's a chance Egubka proves to be the superior player, and not much chance of Mike Evans or Chris Godwin (ankle) getting benched. Of course, it's also possible the concerns prove unfounded and McMillan cements himself as a quality starter, with Egubka either brought along slowly or getting most of his snaps when Evans/Godwin miss time. There does seem to be a lot of overlap between McMillan, Godwin and Egubka in terms of relative strengths and weaknesses, whereas Evans is a different animal altogether, largely running downfield routes on the perimeter.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Two catches in season-ending loss
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McMillan brought in two of four targets for 41 yards in the Buccaneers' 23-20 wild-card loss to the Commanders on Sunday night.
McMillan finished a distant second to Mike Evans in receiving yards and was also the runner-up to his teammate in targets on a night when Baker Mayfield threw the ball only 18 times. The rookie wideout's serviceable first career postseason contest also included a team-high 26-yard reception on the first play of a fourth-quarter drive that culminated in a game-tying field goal by Chase McLaughlin. McMillan will head into his first NFL offseason with plenty of momentum after having posted a 37-461-8 line on 58 targets and adding 43 rushing yards on four attempts across 13 regular-season games.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Stands out in finale
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McMillan secured five of six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for six yards in the Buccaneers' 27-19 win over the Saints on Sunday.
McMillan finished second in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the afternoon while also recording a touchdown for the fifth straight contest. McMillan's yardage total was also the second-highest of his young career, and about the only blemish on the final regular-season game of his productive rookie campaign was an unsportsmanlike penalty that McMillan earned with a taunting gesture following a key 33-yard reception early in the fourth quarter. McMillan will remain a key component of the Buccaneers' air attack as Tampa Bay heads into the postseason as the NFC's No. 3 seed.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Two more TDs in win
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McMillan brought in all five targets for 51 yards and two touchdowns and rushed once for nine yards in the Buccaneers' 48-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
The rookie wideout continued his impressive late-season run with his fifth and sixth touchdown receptions over the last four contests. McMillan hit pay dirt from 10 and 16 yards out in the second and fourth quarters, respectively, and he finished second in catches and targets to Mike Evans on the afternoon. McMillan has five catches in three consecutive contests heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Saints.
Over the last three weeks Jalen McMillan has 14 catches for 191 yards and four touchdowns on 20 targets. With Sterling Shepard possibly out, we could see McMillan's target share go even higher in Week 17. He's a number three wide receiver this week who has top-12 upside in a given week. In fact, he's actually been a top-12 wide receiver over the last three weeks combined.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Week 17 Waiver Priority List
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McMillan continues to be a go-to guy for Baker Mayfield, and Fantasy managers continue to benefit. He had five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in Week 16 at Dallas, and that's now 14 catches for 191 yards and four touchdowns in his past three games. He's scored at least 16.7 PPR points in each outing, and he should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues in Week 17 against Carolina.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Another strong fantasy line Sunday
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McMillan had five receptions (on six targets) for 75 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 40-17 blowout win over the Chargers.
McMillan followed up his breakout performance against Las Vegas in Week 14 with another gem against Los Angeles on Sunday. The speedy rookie is coming into his own as the No. 2 option behind star wideout Mike Evans (9-159-2). McMillan has racked up 134 yards and three touchdowns over his last two contests. The third-round selection has leapfrogged his way from fantasy afterthought to a potential playoff hero for managers across all formats. McMillan can really put his name on the map under the bright lights in Dallas when the Buccaneers visit the Cowboys for Sunday Night Football in Week 16.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Week 15 Waiver Priority List
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I expected McMillan to step up when Chris Godwin (ankle) was lost for the season in Week 7 against Baltimore, but he's been hurt and mostly quiet with his production. He finally woke up in Week 14 against Las Vegas with four catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets, and hopefully, he can finish the season strong. He's worth adding in deeper leagues heading into Week 15 against the Chargers, and then he faces Dallas in Week 16 and Carolina in Week 17, which are favorable matchups.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Two touchdowns in Week 14 win
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McMillan brought in four of seven targets for 59 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 28-13 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
McMillan hadn't found the end zone since recording a 32-yard touchdown on his first career catch back in Week 1 against the Commanders, but he made up for some lost time Sunday with 15- and 29-yard scoring grabs in the first and fourth quarters, respectively. The speedy wideout's catch total also tied his career high, while his yardage tally was a new high-water mark for the rookie third-round pick. McMillan's surge was a welcome sight considering how little production the Buccaneers have gotten from the No. 2 receiver position since Chris Godwin was lost for the season with an ankle dislocation, and he'll look to put together a successful encore in a Week 15 road matchup against the Chargers.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Two grabs in Week 13 win
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McMillan secured two of three targets for 25 yards in the Buccaneers' 26-23 overtime win over the Panthers on Sunday.
McMillan posted his third multi-catch tally in the last four games but still had minimal impact with his robust 76 percent snap share (61 snaps). The rookie has yet to take appreciable advantage of the opportunity afforded by Chris Godwin's season-ending ankle injury, and McMillan will have a tough matchup in a Week 14 home date with a Raiders defense that's allowed the sixth-fewest yards per completion in the NFL (9.5).
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: One catch in return to action
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McMillan brought in one of two targets for 11 yards in the Buccaneers' 30-7 win over the Giants on Sunday.
After garnering active status Week 10 against the 49ers but not playing any snaps, McMillan jumped into the No. 2 receiver role following the bye and led all Buccaneers wideouts with 41 snaps. However, as his final line implies, McMillan drew very little of Baker Mayfield's attention and logged only one additional target than reserves such as Trey Palmer, Ryan Miller and Rakim Jarrett. Nevertheless, the rookie is likely to continue in a starting role in a Week 13 road matchup against the Panthers.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Logs full practice
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McMillan (hamstring) was a full practice participant Wednesday.
McMillan was listed as active for Tampa Bay's final game before a Week 11 bye, but he was only available in the event of an injury to another player and didn't end up playing any snaps. He should be ready for his normal role two weeks later, facing the Giants on Sunday with fellow wideout Mike Evans (hamstring) expected back in the lineup. McMillan didn't do much even when both Evans and Chris Godwin (ankle) were absent, but the rookie still should have a role down the stretch, likely operating as the Bucs' second or third wideout.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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McMillan has been a disappointment since Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) were injured in Week 7, and McMillan missed Week 9 with a hamstring injury and played no snaps in Week 10 before Tampa Bay's bye in Week 11. Evans is expected to play in Week 12, and I hope McMillan now gets the Godwin role for the rest of the season. Prior to his hamstring injury, McMillan had 15 combined targets against Baltimore and Atlanta, and I hope Baker Mayfield starts to rely on the talented rookie moving forward. McMillan is worth adding for 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Active but no snaps Sunday
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McMillan, who missed Week 9 with a hamstring injury, was active in Sunday's loss to the 49ers but didn't log any snaps, Greg Auman of FOX Sports reports.
The rookie wideout had logged just a single practice, and limited at that, during Week 10 prep, but the fact the Buccaneers had invested a game-day roster spot in him would have seemed to portend a regular role. Nevertheless, McMillan never saw the field against San Francisco, and in addition to Auman's confirmation of such, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times appeared to imply the speedster simply wasn't healthy enough to run routes. McMillan now will have a Week 11 bye to potentially get back to full health before a Week 12 road matchup against the Giants, a game that also could mark the return of Mike Evans (hamstring).
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Back in action Sunday
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McMillan (hamstring) is listed as active Sunday against the 49ers, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
McMillan thus is back in action after he sat out last Monday's overtime loss in Kansas City due to a hamstring that he tweaked three days before then. He logged just one limited session during Week 10 prep, but it was enough to clear him for Sunday's game. The Buccaneers don't have Mike Evans (hamstring) or Chris Godwin (IR, ankle) available, so McMillan is among the wide receivers active along with Trey Palmer, Sterling Shepard, Ryan Miller, Rakim Jarrett and Marquez Callaway.
