Panthers (

18.75) at
Bucs (

28.75)

GAME Overview ::

By HILOW >>

• Buccaneers TE Cade Otton (knee) and WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring/foot) have been ruled out for Week 17, leaving only Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and Payne Durham as the pass catchers we expect to operate as every-down players in the offense.
• The Panthers have five starting defensive players listed on the injury report for Week 17, with CB Jaycee Horn (doubtful), CB Chau Smith-Wade (out), LB Josey Jewell (out), LB Jadeveon Clowney (questionable), and DE A’Shawn Robinson (questionable) carrying varying degrees of availability.
• Panthers WR Xavier Legette had an interesting week of practice, returning to a full session Wednesday before managing only limited sessions Thursday and Friday, prompting a questionable designation.

HOW CAROLINA WILL TRY TO WIN ::

The Panthers have played much better as a team recently, winning or losing by one score or less in six of their previous seven games, failing to do so against only the Cowboys in Week 15. That includes games against these same Buccaneers, the Cardinals, the Eagles, and the Chiefs. They have achieved this through balance on offense and improving quarterback play from Bryce Young. They have also been willing to unleash Young in the right game environments, asking him to throw the football 34 times against the Eagles, 46 times against these Buccaneers, 35 times against the Chiefs, and 37 times against the Broncos. That said, this unit would prefer to remain balanced on offense unless otherwise forced.

Chuba Hubbard was the unsung workhorse of the league during the first half of the season, only to see rookie Jonathon Brooks enter the equation and promptly reinjure his ACL, thusly thrusting Hubbard back into an unsung workhorse role. That has led to some absolutely massive fantasy performances in the right game environments and matchups, this one likeliest to not support that trend. The Buccaneers have allowed just 1.80 yards before contact per attempt, 4.4 yards per carry, and 18.5 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields and are likeliest to control the game environment, meaning we are unlikely to see Hubbard enjoy elite volume and production in this spot.

The Carolina offense has been rooted in 11-personnel all season, with Legette and Jalen Coker now playing as near every-down pass catchers when healthy and Adam Thielen operating in a pure slot role. David Moore has filled in well as the fourth option when the team has dealt with injuries but is likely to revert back to a complementary role should Legette return to the active gameday roster. Legette had an interesting week of practice, getting in a full session on Wednesday before limited sessions Thursday and Friday, leaving his status on Sunday up in the air. Tommy Tremble has operated as the lead tight end when healthy, with rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders playing complementary snaps. Both Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum are healthy for Week 17 and the Tampa defense has operated as a true slot funnel with them both on the field this season, making Thielen an interesting option as the bulk of his routes originate from the slot.

How TAMPA BAY Will Try To Win ::