Is Mike Evans playing today? Buccaneers injury update and fantasy replacement

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans was viewed as a toss-up entering Week 12's Sunday slate. The Bucs face off against the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon in a game they need to win to stay afloat after three straight losses.

Evans missed all of those games, and while Baker Mayfield and the Bucs have fought valiently, their passing game took a major hit once the normally-steady Evans went down with a hamstring injury. Thankfully for Tampa Bay fans, Evans is questionable this week and is trending towards playing, or at least that's what he would have you think.

The 31-year-old was limited in practice late this week, but per reports from Adam Schefter – and the receiver himself – he's expected to test his hamstring in warm-ups and give it a go barring any setbacks.

Is Mike Evans playing today against the New York Giants?

Evans has missed the last three games for the Buccaneers, and their passing game has suffered as a result. From a leadership perspective, having the veteran Evans on the field makes a huge difference. Tampa Bay is 4-6 on the season following their recent losing streak, but a pick-me-up game against the New York Giants is just what the doctor ordered, and not just for Evans.

If Evans were to suffer a setback – or perhaps be limited against the Giants – here is what the Buccaneers depth chart looks like at receiver behind him.

Chris Godwin is out for the season, and was placed on injured reserve. The Buccaneers haven't had a true go-to receiver for weeks, and it shows.

Mike Evans fantasy football replacements

Luckily, fantasy football managers shouldn't have to replace Evans if they kept him on the roster in the first place. Evans ought to be a full-go and return to fantasy football lineups across all major leagues, including my own. Evans also tends to dominate the Giants when he is in the lineup, so if he's even remotely healthy, he's worth a start.

In his first game coming off injury, the Bucs will likely play it safe with his snap count. With that in mind, other players on the Buccaneers, such as tight end Cade Otton, or running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, should receive more of an emphasis. The return of Evans is also great news for Baker Mayfield fantasy managers.

If we're looking at depth pickups specifically just in case Evans should go down again, the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Keon Coleman are worth picking up if they are still available in your league, per FanSided Fantasy Football expert Lior Lampert.