Following on from Part 1 (Dalvin Cook Vs Joe Mixon) of this new series, in Part 2 we will be moving to the WRs and two guys who are early-round selections in your dynasty startup drafts... Chris Godwin (ADP:10 - WR5) Vs JuJu Smith-Schuster (ADP:14 - WR7)!
Before we get started, here's a recap of each category we will be evaluating each player on...
Round 1 - Prospect - Taking a look at each player as they were entering the NFL.
Round 2 - Career so far - Comparing how each player's career has played out so far.
Round 3 - 2019 Results - Seeing how each player performed in 2019.
Final Round (Double Points) - Offense/Situation/Outlook - Evaluating each player's offense and how they will be involved to see who has the best outlook for 2020 and beyond. Double points as it's the one area, as dynasty owners, we most care about!
The player with the most points out of a possible 5 will be declared the winner!
Right... LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!...
FIGHT!!
Chris Godwin Vs JuJu Smith-Schuster
Round 1 - Prospect
Chris Godwin
After 3 years at Penn State, here's how Godwin's stats looked as he entered the NFL:
Receiving - 154/2421/18
Rushing - 3/14/0
Next, take a look at Godwin's measurables and his percentiles vs wide receivers following on from his NFL Combine results:
40 Yard Dash - 4.42s - 83%tile
Verticle Jump - 36" - 57%tile
Broad Jump - 126" - 83%tile
3-Cone Drill - 7.01s - 40%tile
Bench Press - 19 reps - 84%tile
Rod Christopher "Chris" Godwin Jr. was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2017 NFL Draft in the 3rd Round (Pick 84)
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Following on from his 3 years at USC, here we JuJu's final college stats before declaring for the NFL Draft:
Receiving - 213/3092/25
Rushing - 8/34/0
Here are his combine results and percentiles (His 3-Cone was from his Pro Day):
40 Yard Dash - 4.54s - 37%tile
Verticle Jump - 32 1/2" - 16%tile
Broad Jump - 120" - 47%tile
3-Cone Drill - 6.93s - 54%tile
Bench Press - 15 reps - 55%tile
John Sherman "JuJu" Smith-Schuster was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 NFL Draft in the 2nd Round (Pick 62)
Conclusion
Stats - JuJu Smith-Schuster had the more successful college career at USC, in comparison the Godwin. Although it's worth noting that Godwin averaged a higher yards per catch at 15.7ypc to JuJu's 14.5ypc.
Measurables - Chris Godwin had by far the more impressive measurables, bettering JuJu in every category barring the 3-Cone Drill, although JuJu recorded his at his Pro Day and was only slightly better than Godwins.
Draft - JuJu Smith-Schuster was selected 22 picks before Godwin, and was a 2nd round pick compared to Godwin been a 3rd round pick. So he wins this one
Current Score - Godwin 0 - 1 Smith-Schuster
Round 2 - Career So Far
Chris Godwin
Like a lot of rookie wide receivers, Godwin made a slow start to his NFL career and finished as the WR71. In 2018, Godwin showed flashes of his potential recording 59 receptions for 842 yards and also 7 TDs. This lead to Godwin been rightly touted as a breakout candidate for the 2019 season... and he didn't disappoint! Godwin finished the season as the WR2 with 1333 yards and 9TDs.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster burst onto the scene following on from been drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with 917 yards and 7 TDs during his rookie season. And it didn't let up in his 2nd season in the NFL! He then finished as the WR8 with 1426 yards and 7 TDs in 2018. However, despite everybody hoping JuJu would flourish in 2019 once Antonio Brown left the Steelers, he took a step back, putting up the lowest stats of his career and only finishing as the WR65.
Conclusion
This is a close one! JuJu Smith-Schuster made the far better start to his career but Godwin's recent breakout and WR2 finish makes it a much tighter decision. Both guys have been in the NFL for 3 years and if you average out their total yards and positional rank, JuJu wins in both categories with an average of 965 yards each year and an average finish of WR32 (Godwin averaged 900 yards and a WR33 finish). So JuJu JUST takes this category for me.
Current Score - Godwin 0 - 2 Smith-Schuster
Round 3 - 2019 Season
Chris Godwin
2019 was a huge year for Godwin. As mentioned earlier, many were touting Godwin to have a breakout in 2019 following on from showing flashes of his upside during the 2018 season. However, I'm not sure many would have predicted he would finish as the WR2 for the season. Some of the key stats for Godwin in 2019 were:
WR2 in standard and PPR leagues despite only playing 14 games
86 receptions for 1333 yards (3rd*) and 9 TDs (T3rd*)
Averaged 15.5 yards per catch
9 Red Zone targets resulting in 9 catches and 5 TDs
Finished as the WR1 (weekly ranking) twice and a top 6 WR five times
Averaged 19.6 fantasy points per game
*League leaders rank
JuJu Smith-Schuster
2019 was a disappointing season for JuJu, he made a slow start to the season but the fact his QB Ben Roethlisberger missed most of the season through injury, and JuJu himself struggled with injury, didn't help. Here are some of his key stats from 2019:
WR65 in both standard and PPR leagues
42 receptions for 552 yards (61st*) and 3 TDs (T58th*)
Averaged 13.1 yards per catch
Only 2 weeks as a Top 15 WR
Averaged 9.4 fantasy points per game
*League leaders rank
2019 was definitely a year to forget for JuJu Smith-Schuster and his fantasy owners.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, Chris Godwin had by far the better season in 2019. A breakout year where Godwin showed that he is one of the elite WRs in the NFL. The next question is can he keep this level of play up for 2020 and beyond?
Current Score - Godwin 1 - 2 Smith-Schuster
Final Round!
Round 4 - Offense/Situation/Outlook
Chris Godwin
Chris Godwin is currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are currently going through a big change with them recently acquiring their new franchise QB, Tom Brady.
In 2019, the Buccaneers had the 7th highest pass rate, and even if that drops slightly with Brady on board there will still be enough opportunity for Godwin to try and match is 2019 stats. Godwin played 62.5% of his snaps in the slot last season... Can Chris Godwin be Tom Brady's new Julian Edelman in the slot?
Brady's accuracy compared to Jameis Winston last season should also help Godwin increase his receptions.
One worry is that Brady will have a large selection of quality players to target with Mike Evans, O.J Howard, and his old friend Rob Gronkowski competing with Godwin for those targets. Also, Brady isn't getting any younger at 43 years old, how seasons will Godwin have Brady as his QB before he retires?
JuJu Smith-Schuster
While JuJu Smith-Schuster is currently at the Pittsburgh Steelers, there have been reports this offseason that it could be his last with his contract due to finish after the 2020 season. The Steelers will have contracts to address on both sides of the ball next offseason, so could JuJu be a casualty?
Like Godwin, JuJu has an aging QB in Ben Roethlisberger who he sorely missed in 2019, but with Big Ben expected back fit and healthy in 2020 hopefully can return to the form he showed in his first 2 seasons in the NFL. Can the Steelers go from a run-first offense, like they were in 2019, back to a passing offense with Big Ben back in 2020?
With the Steelers having James Washington, Diontae Johnson, and recently drafted 2nd Round pick, Chase Claypool, they now have outside wide receivers that should demand attention to allow JuJu to thrive in the slot where he's been so effective throughout his career.
It's also worth mentioning that JuJu has had difficulties with injuries throughout his NFL career, these include 3 concussions, a knee sprain, and a hamstring strain. This is a concern for JuJu's longevity in the NFL.
Conclusion
Although both are in fairly similar situations with aging QBs, and should both have long bright futures in the NFL, I believe Godwin has the higher ceiling in the Buccaneers offense. He's proven himself to be an elite WR alongside Mike Evans, and the addition of Brady should benefit him as the teams' slot WR with is accuracy.
Finish Him!!
Overall, despite both have shown they can be elite WRs in the NFL, Godwin has the more stable future with the Buccaneers compared to JuJu's situation, a pass-heavy offense with an OC in Bruce Arians who knows how to get his WRs to thrive and also less injury concerns than JuJu. Godwin can be a top dynasty WR for years to come!
Final Score - Godwin 3 - 2 Smith-Schuster
Thank you for reading this article, hopefully you enjoyed this fun project for me to put together! Be sure to follow me on twitter @MattFFDynasty and give me your feedback on this article and who you would like to see go head to head in future Dynasty ADP Duels!
