Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 15th, 2024, 1:0PM ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Network: FOX
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Cooper Rush: Sit
Cooper Rush and the Cowboys got off to a hot start on Monday night, marching down the field and ending their opening drive with a touchdown. Rush would add another later in the game, but overall, it was a fairly disappointing output, considering the opponent. Cincinnati offers a leaky defense, but Rush only completed 16 of 31 attempts for 183 yards. He gets the Panthers this week, a team allowing the seventh most fantasy points to QBs on the year, but he won’t be a recommended streamer in single-QB leagues that are in their first week of the playoffs.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: Start, RB2
He may not have found the end zone against the Bengals, but Rico Dowdle had a solid night, rushing for 131 yards on 18 carries, with one reception for 10 yards. That is now back-to-back games with at least 110+ yards on the ground, and he’ll look to build on this output against a Panthers defense allowing the most fantasy points to RBs on the year. Last week, Carolina allowed Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts to combine for 183 yards and a touchdown.
Ezekiel Elliott has remained firmly off the fantasy radar this season since returning to Dallas.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb: Start, WR1
Brandin Cooks: Sit
CeeDee Lamb was on the receiving end of the opening-drive touchdown, which arguably saved his fantasy night. He caught six of seven targets for 93 yards and the score and banged up his already injured shoulder early in the game but toughed through. The Panther’s defense is actually decent against opposing WRs, allowing an average of 31.7 points per game to the position (per FantasyData).
Brandin Cooks may have scored in back-to-back games since returning to action in Week 13, but he is not a focal point in the Rush-led offense. He’s best left on the wire with no teams on BYE across the league.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson: Start, TE2\1
Jake Ferguson returned to action from missing two games due to a concussion and took back the reigns from second-year Luke Schoonmaker. Ferguson’s output was quiet – like Schoonmaker’s – but the key takeaway was Ferg out-snapped Schoonmaker 46 to 23, per FootballGuys. You can confidently lean on Ferguson this week against a Panthers defense that is the league-worst against fantasy tight ends on the year.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: Sit
Bryce Young was putting together some decent games since a Week 11 BYE, but he did struggle (understandably) against Philadelphia last week. He completed 19 of 34 attempts for 191 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, with 29 rushing yards off seven carries. The Dallas defense is a pass funnel this year, but Young is not a recommended streamer in single QB leagues by any means. You could certainly do worse in Superflex formats, though.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: Start, RB2 with RB1 upside
Despite being on the Panthers, Chuba Hubbard has been a consistent fantasy RB dating back to last season. With the backfield seemingly only his, Hubbard turned 26 carries into 92 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles, catching four of five targets for 15 yards in the process. The Cowboys may have held Chase Brown to rush for just 58 yards on 14 carries, but he also caught six passes for 65 yards and an impressive sideline score.
Touted rookie Jonathon Brooks had his season taken away from him against the Eagles, having suffered a re-tear of his right ACL. It’s anyone’s guess what to make for his NFL career, let alone his 2025 season outlook. That’ll leave Mike Boone to back Hubbard up, with Raheem Blackshear having suffered an injury of his own against Philly.
Wide Receiver
Adam Thielen: Start, WR2
Xavier Legette: Sit
Young has not been shy about getting Adam Thielen the ball when he is out there. Between Weeks 13 and 14, Thielen has caught 17 of 21 targets for 201 yards and a touchdown, seeing no less than 10 targets per game in that span. You shall certainly remain confident that he can continue to build on these strong games against a Dallas defense that just allowed Ja’Marr Chase to turn 14 receptions into 177 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.6 yards per catch on the night.
Xavier Legette has struggled in recent weeks, catching six of 16 total targets for 92 scoreless yards across Week’s 13 and 14. The rookie has taken a back seat to Thielen and can be left on your bench this week against the Cowboys.
Tight End
Tommy Tremble: Sit
Ja’Tavion Sanders: Sit
Ja’Tavion Sanders laid a goose egg last week in his return from a neck injury that sidelined him against Tampa Bay the week prior. Tommy Tremble did find the end zone against the Eagles, but don’t read into it – neither Panthers TE is fantasy-relevant this season.
-Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)