Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 8, 2024, 1:00 ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Network: FOX
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: Sit
Young finally logged a game as a top-10 fantasy QB this past week and has admittedly looked much improved from his tenure last season into the first few weeks this year. Despite throwing for nearly 300 yards, though, he only had 1 passing TD, and this was against a Buccaneers defense that is tied with Baltimore at 27th in pass defense. Going on the road to Philadelphia will be a much more challenging test – the Eagles are 6th in EPA/pass and have the 8th highest sack rate and scramble rate. It’s encouraging to see Young improving, but this is one of the worst matchups to go against. He is a must-bench this week.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: FLEX Option, RB4
Jonathon Brooks: Sit
Miles Sanders: Sit
Despite being the RB13 on the season, Chuba Hubbard’s role has started to shrink with the activation of Jonathon Brooks. Two weeks ago, Hubbard handled 16 carries, and Brooks was given only 2. This past week, Hubbard saw only 12 carries, and Brooks handled 6. Carolina is one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league, so a timeshare backfield is a disaster for fantasy managers. Now combine that with a matchup against a team that just held Derrick Henry to under 100 yards, ranks 2nd in EPA/rush, and has allowed only 8 rushing TDs on the season (3 of which were to QBs). The game script can also get out of hand easily in this one, so this backfield should generally be avoided if possible – Hubbard remains a low-end FLEX option purely due to his snap share and track record, but a second-straight bust week very well could be in the cards.
Wide Receiver
Adam Thielen: FLEX Option, WR4
Xavier Legette: Sit
David Moore: Sit
After seeing double his previous season high in targets, Adam Thielen exploded with a WR6 finish last week by bringing in 8 receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. As previously stated in Young’s discussion, this was against a pass-funnel Buccaneers team, and this matchup is the complete other side of the coin. The rookie corners for the Eagles have been shutting down some of the top receivers in the league, so the 34-year-old will struggle to break the WR36 threshold he did for only the first time last week. Philly has also only allowed the 5th lowest completion rate, partially attributed to the pass rush, so volume is the name of the game for this receiving corps. Thielen is the most likely to continue seeing the volume, so he’s the only WR to consider for a desperation starter. He’s not in play this week as we’ll need another data point to verify his usage, but keep an eye out for David Moore, who has seen 10 and 9 targets these past two weeks.
Tight End
Ja’Tayvion Sanders: Sit
Sanders missed last week’s contest against the Bucs, but he hasn’t been involved nearly enough to make up for returning in a difficult matchup. He’s likely on the waiver wire, and it’s safe to leave him there another week.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: Start, QB1
Hurts is the QB4 on the season and has had at least 1 TD through both the air and on the ground in 5 of his last seven games. He’s also thrown only 1 interception since Week 3, but this is partially due to how much work that Philly has kept the ball on the ground. They lead the league in rate of rush plays: 56.3% on the season and 60.6% the past 3 weeks. It’s not a complete drawback from Hurts, though, as he’s yet to log a game of fewer than 7 rush attempts all season. The brotherly shove is almost a weekly ordeal, which safely sets his floor in QB1 range. His 12 rushing TDs on the season lead the league and is twice as many as the two tied for second behind him (Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels). The Panthers are probably the worst defense in the league, as they rank in the bottom 5 in almost every metric, so the only way Hurts doesn’t have a good fantasy performance is if he hands it off every play before being pulled from the game.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: Start, RB1
Kenneth Gainwell: FLEX Option, RB4
This game has Saquon’s name written all over it. The Panthers have the 2nd lowest EPA/rush behind only Dallas, so this matchup is as juicy as it gets for the current RB1. Barkley did have one of his lower output games against Dallas due to getting pulled with the lead well in hand – which is definitely a possibility in this one, but less likely given it’s a home game. He also saw only 14 rushes in that game, which was his least in any game since their Week 4 Bye. There’s no chance you’re taking Saquon out of your starting lineup, but Kenneth Gainwell might be a worthwhile waiver pickup.
Wide Receiver
A.J. Brown: Start, WR2
DeVonta Smith: FLEX Option, WR4
Jahan Dotson: Sit
A.J. Brown has shown time and again to be an elite talent, and this is a great matchup. The problem is that it’s such a good matchup, and Philly is such a run-heavy team that they might not even need A.J. to contribute. He’s now failed to break 16 fantasy points in five of his last six games – he’s the WR17 since Week 8. He should absolutely stay in your lineup, given his big-play potential, but these are factors to consider that he might not be in for a massive week. The same goes for DeVonta Smith if he even plays. Smith’s target share has been a bit streaky, let alone you’d also be banking on a full workload coming off the injury in this matchup where the Eagles may not even need him.
Tight End
Grant Calcaterra: Sit / Streaming Option, TE2
The availability of DeVonta Smith determines whether Calcaterra is a streaming option or not. With Dallas Goedert missing time with a knee injury, the backup TE has shown to be a dependable option by scoring eight fantasy points in three of the four games when Goedert was out with a hamstring issue earlier this season. There still might not be a ton of passing the ball in this one, so the potential to compete with Smith for targets would knock him well out of contention for a starting lineup; however, he could be one of the safer pivots to set a floor at your TE position if DeVonta is out.