Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 26th at 1:00 PM ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Betting Odds: TB -10.5, 44 total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Tom Brady (Start, Low-end QB1)
Tom Brady had an abysmal game last week and had his lowest fantasy total of the season with just 4.8 points. A few factors are working against Brady this week. The veteran quarterback will be missing plenty of offensive weapons, and the Panthers are allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Still, I trust the overall fantasy QB3 on the season to bounce back and achieve low-end QB1 production. I get the feeling Brady will have a chip on his shoulder after last week’s struggles.
Running Backs
Ronald Jones II (Start, RB2), Le’Veon Bell (Sit), Leonard Fournette (Sit)
Leonard Fournette may end up on the IR, which means Ronald Jones could be a fantasy league winner down the stretch. It looks like Jones will be a coveted waiver wire pickup this week with Fournette likely out for the remainder of the fantasy season. There are reports that the Buccaneers are signing Le’Veon Bell, but I imagine that’s mostly for depth. Jones will be the lead back in Tampa.
The Panthers are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this year, but they’re allowing plenty of rushing yards per game. The match-up is mediocre, but luckily the Buccaneers are heavy favorites in this game and could give Jones plenty of work if they take an early lead. “RoJo” should be capable of a solid RB2 performance this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Antonio Brown (Start, High-end WR2), Mike Evans (Start if healthy, WR2), Rob Gronkowski (Start, TE1), Chris Godwin (Sit), Tyler Johnson (Sit)
Antonio Brown’s suspension couldn’t end at a better time for the Bucs. Tampa needs the receiving talent after Chris Godwin suffered a season-ending ACL injury last week. Brown’s fantasy stock is on the rise, and he should be in line for a huge game this Sunday. He’s a must-start at this point.
Mike Evans’ hamstring doesn’t appear to be too bad. Rapoport said that the injury is “nothing major.” Still, the Bucs could limit Evans’ practice time this week, so fantasy managers will need to monitor his status closely. If he’s good to go, it will be tough benching Mike. He’s currently the overall WR11 on the season and Brady loves targeting him in the end zone. You may need to hope for the best if Evans is active this week, but it never hurts to have a backup plan just in case.
Tyler Johnson could see more targets this week if Evans is inactive, but I wouldn’t trust him in a semi-final fantasy lineup.
Rob Gronkowski had a rough game last week, but to be fair, the entire Buccaneers offense was struggling. Gronk only had two catches, but his season-high 11 targets were encouraging. With Godwin (and potentially Evans) inactive this week, Rob should see plenty of passes come his way once again. I like Gronkowski’s chances for an impressive bounce-back performance.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Cam Newton (Sit), Sam Darnold (Sit)
It’s too late in the fantasy season to trust Cam Newton unless he has a ridiculously favorable match-up. Newton relies on his rushing ability, and the stout Tampa defensive front is allowing the third-fewest rushing yards in the league. I would stay far away from Cam this week, especially if you’re playing for a spot in the Championship.
Sam Darnold will split the quarterback work with Cam this week, which makes it even more difficult to trust either of these guys in any fantasy formats.
Running Backs
Chuba Hubbard (Sit)
Chuba Hubbard has been pretty underwhelming since taking over the lead back duties in Carolina. He’s averaging just 7.2 fantasy points per game as the Panther’s RB1. Fantasy managers should look for a more dependable option, especially if they’re in the semi-finals.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
DJ Moore (Start-able WR3), Robby Anderson (Sit)
When it comes to the WR3 tier this week, DJ Moore is a reasonably dependable option. He’s averaging a little over 14 points over his last four games and is seeing 9.5 targets per game over that same stretch. His upside has been a bit limited lately, but DJ’s floor has been solid since Cam returned to Carolina.
Robby Anderson may have scored 21.4 fantasy points in Week 14, but don’t let his one impressive game of the season fool you. Anderson is much too inconsistent to trust at this point in the season.
-Ryan Kruse (@ryanpkruse)