Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
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Tampa Bay was crushed by injuries in Week 7 against Baltimore with Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) both leaving the game. Godwin is likely done for the season, and Evans could miss multiple weeks. That puts the spotlight on McMillan and potentially Sterling Shepard (1 percent rostered) and Trey Palmer (1 percent), and hopefully all three can step up in a big way. I like McMillan the best based on upside, and he had eight targets against the Ravens, although he finished with three catches for 15 yards. He should start to see consistent targets, and he could emerge as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Shepard could fill Godwin's role in the slot, and that makes him worth a look in deeper leagues. And Palmer is also a flier in deeper leagues if he gets a bigger role. I would add McMillan for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB, and Shepard is worth 1 percent, followed by Palmer for 1 percent. Tampa Bay is hurting at receiver right now, and hopefully these guys can help.
McMillan has a chance to be the No. 1 wide receiver for Tampa rest of the season, or at least until Mike Evans returns. He led the Bucs with eight targets in Week 8, and the team should have a better plan with a week to prepare for life without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. McMillan doesn't have the highest floor on the waiver wire, but he has the highest ceiling.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Four touches in loss
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McMillan secured three of eight targets for 15 yards and rushed once for 11 yards in the Buccaneers' 41-31 loss to the Ravens on Monday night.
McMillan surprisingly finished third in targets, although the first-half exit of Mike Evans (hamstring) certainly played a part. The rookie was largely inefficient with those opportunities, yet he could be primed to continue drawing plenty of Baker Mayfield's attention moving forward. Evans could potentially miss a Week 8 home matchup against the Falcons, at minimum, while Scott Smith of the team's official site reports the injury that forced Chris Godwin to be carted off late in Monday night's game appears to be a dislocated ankle that would very likely result in a multi-game absence.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Disappoints in return
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McMillan failed to secure his only target and returned three punts for 12 yards in the Buccaneers' 51-27 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
In his return from a two-game absence, McMillan played on only 18 percent of the offense's snaps while seeing veteran Sterling Shepard (75 percent snap share) take over the No. 3 role. The significant disparity in opportunity for the two players was likely at least partly the byproduct of McMillan being eased back into action, meaning the rookie could see a notable uptick in playing time in a Week 7 Monday night showdown against the Ravens on Oct. 21.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Back in action Sunday
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McMillan (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game at New Orleans, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
McMillan was absent Weeks 4 and 5 due to a hamstring injury that he sustained in practice prior to the first of those contests. The rookie third-round pick put himself in a position to return to action this time around with a full session Friday, and he'll rejoin Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in three-wide sets Week 6. McMillan thus will be aiming to build upon the 3-59-1 line on six targets that he accrued in the first three outings of his career.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Questionable after full practice
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McMillan (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at New Orleans, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
An upgrade to full practice participation Friday suggests McMillan is more likely than not to suit up for the first time since Week 3. He won the No. 3 receiver job this summer and made a couple nice plays over the first two weeks, but it hasn't been a high-volume role, regardless of whether McMillan, Trey Palmer (concussion) or Sterling Shepard is the one filling it.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Estimated as non-practice participant
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McMillan (hamstring) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice estimate, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
McMillan was inactive for Sunday's win over the Eagles, so it's no surprise to see his DNP listing Monday. The 2024 third-rounder now has two more chances to see his listed participation level increase ahead of Week 5 action, but for now his status for Thursday's game against the Falcons is cloudy.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Listed as doubtful for Sunday
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McMillan (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
McMillan was injured in Friday's practice, which is never a good sign for a player's availability two days later. If McMillan can't play Sunday -- which seems likely -- look for Trey Palmer to reclaim WR3 duties in Tampa Bay against Philadelphia. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should continue to command the lion's share of targets from Baker Mayfield.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Hurts hamstring in practice
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McMillan injured his hamstring during Friday's practice, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Coach Todd Bowles referred to the injury as a "tweak", but McMIllan nonetheless figures to be added to the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Eagles. Trey Palmer likely will fill in as the No. 3 WR if McMillan is inactive or limited.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: One grab in Week 3 loss
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McMillan brought in his only target for six yards in the Buccaneers' 26-7 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.
McMillan still saw a robust 77 percent snap share (44 snaps) as the clear No. 3 receiver Sunday, but he posted a new low in receiving yards after recording 32 and 21 on a catch apiece during his first two NFL games. However, it bears noting the entire afternoon was an exercise in underachievement as far as the Buccaneers offense was concerned, with Baker Mayfield throwing for only 163 yards at 4.9 yards per attempt. McMillan's first opportunity to atone for the underwhelming performance comes in a Week 4 home showdown against the Eagles this coming Sunday.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Solid gain on one catch
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McMillan brought in one of two targets for 21 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-16 win over the Lions on Sunday.
The rookie once again managed a 20-plus yard gain on his one reception after recording a 32-yard touchdown grab in Week 1. McMillan logged 37 snaps from scrimmage overall, significantly outpacing Trey Palmer, who was in on just nine plays on offense. McMillan still has plenty of chemistry to develop with Baker Mayfield, but he already seems to have a firm grasp on the No. 3 receiver role and has no shortage of field-stretching ability.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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McMillan has plenty of upside, and you saw a glimpse of it in Week 1 against Washington when he caught a 32-yard touchdown. It was his lone catch on three targets, but he did operate as the No. 3 receiver for Tampa Bay behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. In deeper leagues, McMillan is worth stashing for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Maximizes one reception
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McMillan brought in his only reception (on three targets) for a 32-yard touchdown in the Buccaneers' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.
The rookie paid immediate dividends in his first game as a pro, and his day would have been even bigger had he and QB Baker Mayfield connected on a deep shot down the right sideline early in the first quarter. However, the duo made up for the misfire on the first play of the fourth quarter for McMillan's one and only reception of the lopsided win. McMillan did play a robust 50 snaps from scrimmage while last season's No. 3 wideout Trey Palmer was limited to 20, seemingly establishing the former as the clear top option behind starters Mike Evans and Chris Godwin heading into a Week 2 road showdown against the Lions.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Suits up in preseason loss
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McMillan (general soreness) brought in one of three targets for six yards in the Buccaneers' 20-7 preseason loss to the Jaguars on Saturday night.
The rookie was able to suit up after dealing with some soreness following his first taste of NFL action last Saturday. McMillan was quiet Saturday night but did see an incomplete deep target from Kyle Trask on the opening possession, and he continues to acquit himself competently despite the fact he's yet to have an opportunity to see in-game action with Baker Mayfield under center. McMillan will have one more chance to make a case for the No. 3 receiver job in the preseason finale against the Dolphins on Friday night.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Wears red non-contact jersey Monday
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McMillan was dealing with what head coach Todd Bowles labeled "general soreness" Monday, leading to the rookie wearing a red non-contact jersey in practice, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.
McMillan continued to make a strong case for the No. 3 receiver job in Saturday's preseason win over the Bengals, recording two receptions for 23 yards. However, it appears his first taste of professional on-field action also left him a bit worse for wear, and it remains to be seen if if the rookie will be able to participate in the first day of joint practices with the Jaguars on Wednesday.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Likely playing Thursday
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Coach Todd Bowles suggested Thursday that McMillan and other rookies will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
McMillan has spent a lot of time with the first-team offense at training camp and reportedly caught a lot of passes from Baker Mayfield, seemingly putting the third-round pick on track to replace holdover Trey Palmer as the Bucs' No. 3 receiver. Most of the Tampa starters will be held out Saturday evening, but McMillan looks to be an exception in light of Bowles saying that "all the rookies" will play. McMillan figures to get playing time early in the game while Kyle Trask is under center.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Continues thriving in second week
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McMillan has been thriving throughout training camp and has drawn attention for his work ethic and attention to detail, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
The rookie third-round pick has drawn praise from head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield, with the former singling out McMillan's intelligence and hunger for improvement while adding that "the receiving group loves him." The Washington product, who missed four games for the Huskies in 2023 due to a knee injury but was a 1,000-yard receiver the season prior, is capable of stretching the field and gaining separation but has also proven adept on choice and option routes. For his part, Mayfield has stated he's already learning that McMillan is also proficient in contested-catch situations, noting "he's going to make plays when the ball is in the air."
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Tampa adds third-round wideout
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The Buccaneers selected McMillan in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 92nd overall.
McMillan might not have as much hype as former Washington teammate Rome Odunze or even Ja'Lynn Polk, but McMillan was about as productive as Odunze and was more productive than Polk prior to McMillan missing roughly two months with a knee injury in 2023. In other words, if McMillan never got hurt, then Polk might not have been drafted ahead of the former. McMillan (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) demonstrated his skill set by producing alongside the likes of Odunze and Polk in college, and his solid combine performance proved the NFL viability of his athleticism (4.47-second 40, 37-inch vertical). Trey Palmer should not be in the WR3 role much longer for Tampa.
