Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, January 7th @ 1:00 PM ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Betting Odds: TB -4.5, 37.5 total via PFF.com
Expected Weather: Overcast
Network: FOX
Writer: Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ on Twitter/X)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield (Start, QB2)
Week 17 was quite a roller coaster for Baker Mayfield. Tampa Bay fell to the Saints 23-13, and if memory serves me correctly, Mayfield had about 1 fantasy point entering halftime. He ended up finishing with 309 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions; good for a 23+ point finish. He enters Week 18 dealing with rib discomfort and returned to practice in limited fashion on Thursday. Assuming he’s a go, Mayfield is a QB2 start against a Panthers defense that is the worst in football, in a quest to clinch Tampa Bay’s third-straight NFC South title with a win.
Running Backs
Rachaad White (Start, RB1)
Rachaad White last week put together his first non-double-digit fantasy output since Week 6; largely in part to the fact that the Saints were up 20-0 through three quarters. He has been as rocksteady as a running back could be this season, and should bounce back against a Panthers defense that he had 84 yards against with a touchdown in Week 13.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Mike Evans (Start, WR2), Chris Godwin (Start, FLEX), Cade Otton (Sit)
It was a ‘down’ showing for Mike Evans, who caught three of four targets for 70 yards. He’ll look to repeat his Week 13 performance against this same Panthers defense, which happened to be his best game of the season. That day, he caught seven of 12 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown. Chris Godwin has come on since Week 14, averaging 18 points in full-PPR leagues in that span, and last week caught three of five targets for 81 yards and a touchdown. He’ll offer FLEX appeal against a Panthers defense allowing the 30th most fantasy points to opposing WR’s. Tight end Cade Otton has not been fantasy-relevant this season, and that will remain this week.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young (Sit)
From a strong showing in Week 16 to an absolute stinker in Week 17, it’s been a rookie year to forget for Bryce Young. Last week in the 26-0 loss to the Jags, Young completed 19 of 32 attempts for just 112 yards and an interception. He enters the Week 18 finale holding an 11:10 passing touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio and should remain on your waiver wire.
Running Backs
Chuba Hubbard (Start, RB2)
The Panthers backfield did not play out as anticipated this season, given the fact that free agent Miles Sanders has just 414 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground entering Week 18. It’s been the Chuba Hubbard show, as he has been able to string together 819 rushing yards and five scores. That’ll continue this week against the Bucs, a defense he ran for 104 yards against with two touchdowns in Week 13.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Adam Thielen (Start, FLEX), DJ Chark Jr. (Sit), Tommy Tremble (Sit)
In the shutout last week, Adam Thielen led the way with six receptions on six targets for 38 scoreless yards. Thielen had a hot start to the year but came back down to earth in Week 8 after Carolina’s BYE. Even so, he’ll finish the year with over 100 receptions and over 1K receiving yards. As the Panthers look to play spoiler this week, you could do worse at FLEX than someone like Thielen.
DJ Chark Jr. logged a full practice on Thursday but isn’t worthy of lineup consideration.
Tommy Tremble has not been a fantasy-relevant TE this season, and that’ll remain the case this week against Tampa, even though the Bucs are allowing the third most points to opposing tight ends on the year.