Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 19th, 1:00 PM ET
Location: Highmark Stadium, Erie County, New York
Betting Odds: BUF -10.5, 43.5 Total on Vegas Insider
Network: FOX
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Cam Newton (Sit, QB2)
Running back by committee situations are frustrating enough, but what about quarterback rotations? That is what we saw with the Panthers on Sunday; Cam Newton was replaced in certain passing situations for PJ Walker. Newton now has a rushing touchdown in all three games as a starter, but with the risk of being benched at any moment, compounded by the difficulties of facing a potent Bills defense, I’d avoid starting him this week.
Running Backs
Chuba Hubbard (Sit, RB3), Ameer Abdullah (Sit, RB4)
As expected, Chuba Hubbard served as the early-down back last week, with Ameer Abdullah seeing all of the passing game work. With Newton a factor in the rushing game and this being a losing game script, I don’t see much of a case for starting Hubbard this week. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Abdullah outscores him this week.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
DJ Moore (Start, WR2), Robby Anderson (Sit, WR5), Tommy Tremble (Sit), Ian Thomas (Sit)
Robby Anderson was the WR6 overall last week, but that was a clear outlier compared to his other performances this season. DJ Moore, on the other hand, has ten targets in back-to-back games, and hasn’t been under six targets in a single game this year. That is clear WR1 usage. Sadly, due to the ineffectiveness at the quarterback position, we haven’t seen Moore capitalize on his elite usage, making him more of a low-end WR2 against a strong secondary. With competent quarterback play, Moore would be a top-ten receiver, in my opinion, but here we are.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen (Start, QB1)
Josh Allen has a foot sprain, but he’s almost certainly going to play this Sunday. Although Allen has been a bit boom-or-bust this week, he’s yet to have a game with under 20 PFF expected fantasy points. That is thanks to being a part of the league’s most pass-heavy offense, which should continue to be the case this week. I wonder if we see Buffalo use Allen as a rusher less in this game, but he’s still easily a top-three quarterback this week.
Running Backs
Devin Singletary (Start If You Must, RB3/FLEX), Matt Breida (Sit, RB4), Zack Moss (Sit)
Last week, Devin Singletary played on 81% of the snaps, and now faces a defense that ranks in the bottom-ten in run defense grade. When you add in the fact that Buffalo should be playing from ahead, Singletary’s case this week is quite appealing. With no teams on byes, it might be hard to squeeze him into your lineup, but he’s someone you can have some faith in if you’re in a desperate situation.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Stefon Diggs (Start, WR1), Cole Beasley (Sit, Low-End WR3), Emmanuel Sanders (Sit, WR5), Gabriel Davis (Sit, WR4 if Sanders out), Dawson Knox (Start, TE1)
You’re always starting Stefon Diggs, while Dawson Knox was the only tight end to play a single snap; the Bills could run fewer four-receiver sets if Emmanuel Sanders is out with a knee injury, which means more targets for Knox. The rest of the passing game, though, is less enticing. There’s some intrigue with the overall pass-heavy nature of this offense, but Cole Beasley could struggle against an offense that runs a fair share of main coverage, and Gabriel Davis would still be the fourth option in the passing game even if Sanders is out. In a different game script, like last week, there would be excitement here, yet I’d expect fewer pass attempts with the Bills projected to win by multiple scores.
All Stats via Pro Football Focus