What is the fantasy football impact of Antonio Brown signing with Buccaneers?

Antonio Brown is set to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and here’s a look at the fantasy impact of the move.

As his eight-game suspension nears an end, Antonio Brown was back in the news this week. The Seattle Seahawks were rumored to have interest (again), but on Friday the Tampa Bay Buccaneers swooped in and signed the mercurial wide receiver to a one-year deal.

It’s no secret Tom Brady wanted a reunion with Brown, after one game together with the New England Patriots last year. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians didn’t seem inclined to bring Brown into the fold during the offseason, but Brady apparently won out.

Brown, with COVID-19 protocols to clear, will be eligible to make his Buccaneers’ debut in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints. The possibility for further punishment from the league, as one of his off-field situations plays out legally, remains. For now though, Brown is clear to play without interruption when his eight-game ban is up.

When we last saw Brown in action, he played for the Patriots in Week 2 of the 2019 campaign. He was productive too, finishing with four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins, before a new off-field issue surfaced and the team cut him. The New Orleans Saints had him in for a workout late last season, but that seemed mostly like a message to the league to resolve Brown’s situation.

Antonio Brown to the Buccaneers: Fantasy Impact

There’s no denying Brown’s resume. He’s the only receiver in NFL history to post six straight 100-catch seasons (2013-2018), and he had double-digit touchdowns in four of them (at least eight touchdowns in all six). But three teams, the Steelers, Raiders and Patriots, decided he wasn’t worth the trouble in a span of six months in 2019. He also hasn’t played a game in over a year now, and he’s 32 years old.

The Buccaneers’ wide receivers have struggled with injuries all season, from Mike Evans (ankle) and Chris Godwin (hamstring) down to Scotty Miller (groin/hip) and Justin Watson (chest). So Brown will theoretically be a set of fresh legs.

Brown has been an all-around productive receiver in his career–short area, downfield and red zone–so he could take away some targets from both Evans and Godwin. As he has operated at less than full strength, touchdowns (six, on 23 catches) have been the saving grace for Evans in fantasy thus far. Tight end Rob Gronkowski’s recently expanded role after O.J. Howard’s season ending injury, 14 targets over the last two games, could also be threatened by Brown’s presence.

If Brown’s looming presence makes you nervous as a fantasy manager of Evans or Godwin, matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders (Week 7) and New York Giants (Week 8) may bring an opportunity to sell high on them.

Brady has been a top-12 fantasy quarterback through six weeks, even with Evans at less than full strength and Godwin missing three games. Brown will raise Brady’s ceiling to top-10 territory, weekly and for the season.

As for Brown himself, he’s naturally a top waiver wire add based on potential alone. He’s already up to 75 percent ownership in Yahoo! leagues and 70.5 percent owned in ESPN leagues, as of Saturday morning. He’s a WR3 or flex with upside in 12-team leagues right now.