Bowles unsure how long McMillan (knee) will be out

McMillan is on track to face the Bengals on Sunday, but he is clearly still ramping up post-injury, potentially adding volatility to his Week 1 outlook. The Buccaneers’ No. 3 wide receiver is a boom-bust FLEX.

The Buccaneers listed McMillan as a starter on the official depth chart yesterday, which is seemingly a vote of confidence regarding his availability this week. McMillan is on track to play, but will likely be limited to FLEX status in fantasy, playing behind WR Emeka Egbuka and WR Chris Godwin.

It’s McMillan, not rookie WR Ted Hurst III, who’s listed as a starter alongside Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka ahead of Tampa’s Week 1 game against the Bengals. Hurst, the tallest of the Bucs wideouts, has by all accounts impressed Bucs players and coaches throughout the offseason and should have some kind of role in the team’s passing attack to start the year. It could be a while before Hurst takes on a more prominent role, however. Bucs general manager Jason Licht said last week that Hurst, 22, has “proven to us throughout camp, even OTAs, practice every day that he’s been very, very steady...it’s kind of evolved into okay, we can use him this year and he’s going to play a role.” Hurst can be stashed in deeper fantasy formats for now. McMillan is unlikely to be a factor in the Tampa offense after once again struggling with injuries this offseason.

Egbuka was working with trainers last week, but was on the field with the team on Monday. The Buccaneers won’t release their first official injury report until Wednesday, but it sounds like Egbuka is trending in the right direction ahead of the Buccaneers’ Week 1 game against the Bengals. Egbuka has been dealing with this toe injury since mid-August, but it seems like the Bucs have slowly ramped him up as of late. His practice status will be one to monitor when the first injury report drops. In addition to Egbuka, WR Jalen McMillan and OT Justin Skule were also practicing, while RB Sean Tucker was not seen on the field.

Licht said Hurst was initially slated for a learning role behind the deep Buccaneers wide receiver corps. However, he added that the rookie 22-year-old has “proven to us throughout camp, even OTAs, practice every day that he’s been very, very steady...it’s kind of evolved into okay, we can use him this year and he’s going to play a role.” Hurst has received generally positive reports out of training camp. With Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan continuing to deal with injuries throughout preseason, Hurst has gotten more opportunities and proven to the front office he can be used as a rookie. When Egbuka, McMillan, and Chris Godwin are all healthy, Hurst will have a tough time putting up fantasy-relevant production. However, given various active injuries and the injury history of the Bucs’ wide receiver room, he is certainly worth a late-round pick for fantasy purposes.

Egbuka was given a ringing “hopefully” response from Todd Bowles when asked if he’d play in Week 1. We’re not overly concerned just yet, but he’s going to need to practice at some point to play. Jalen McMillan (knee) also sat, though we’re not as concerned about him since he’s practiced on that knee injury.

He was sidelined for a little over two weeks. McMillan is being treated like an afterthought in drafts, going off the board behind Cooper Kupp in the WR6 ranks. McMillan had a nine-target game last year despite missing most of the season and is still just 24 years old. Even with the Ted Hurst hype coming out of camp, there’s a chance for McMillan to be a useful spot starter in fantasy leagues this year.

The Buccaneers rested their established starters, which takes a little shine off of Hurst’s start. Regardless, he led the team in targets through three drives and nearly hauled in a deep target after helpfully getting open during a scramble drill. The third-round rookie appeared to slip while diving for the catch, and he was unable to fully secure the pass before he and the ball hit the ground. Still, it was a decent start for him. He remains a worthwhile late-round dart throw.

Egbuka reportedly limped off the practice field Wednesday with the help of Bucs trainers and was examined on the sideline for a while before watching the rest of practice with his cleats off. Though the Bucs are likely being cautious with the second-year stud receiver, Egbuka’s status will be well worth monitoring in the coming days. An Egbuka absence would open up an opportunity for WR Ted Hurst, who has impressed throughout the offseason.

Please don’t let Slivon’s corny phrasing distract you from the fact that Hurst is playing well in the X-receiver role that the team drafted him to fill. While WR Jalen McMillan (knee) sits out, Hurst is reportedly displaying “amazing body control” while making leaping grabs, effectively “using his 6-foot-4 height to his advantage.” The third-round rookie is a no-brainer dice roll as a late-round draft target. He is not guaranteed to be a hit, but reports continue to be positive, and in-season rookie breakouts are always a big fantasy factor down the stretch.