The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ fantasy outlook dives into the emergence of Chris Godwin, while the fantasy football preview of the Carolina Panthers discusses the Week 18 value of Chuba Hubbard.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
- Spread: Buccaneers -5
- Total: 37.5
- Buccaneers implied points: 21.3
- Panthers implied points: 16.3
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield: He was nothing short of a mess when these two teams first met. Mayfield went 14 of 29 for 202 yards, a TD, and an INT, so if it hadn’t been for a 75-yard hookup with Mike Evans, that performance would be on the short list of the most underwhelming performances of the season.
This first meetup with Carolina yielded a QB19 ranking. Since then, Mayfield has been a different player. He has thrown multiple TD passes in each of his past four games — earning a top-15 QB spot in each of those games — and has completed at least 22 passes in three straight.
Per the Week 18 Cheat Sheet, he’s been throwing to Chris Godwin 9.5 times per game since the veteran receiver was shut out against these Panthers, and that has unlocked nice fantasy potential. Mayfield is a top-12 QB for me this week and is very much an option in DFS tournaments.
Running Backs
Rachaad White: Well that stunk. If you rode White to a fantasy title game appearance, he picked the wrong time to underwhelm. Against the Saints, he managed just 42 yards on the ground and 24 through the air – his first game with under 50 rushing and 25 receiving since mid-October.
In his Week 13 meeting against Carolina, White earned an RB10 rank, so I’d tell you to hang in there. With the Bucs plenty motivated, he should get back on track. His RB41 finish last week was his first finish outside of the top 20 since Week 6. His versatility makes him a strong RB1 this week and a real threat to lead the position in scoring on Sunday.
Chuba Hubbard: The Panthers haven’t been playing for anything during Thomas Brown’s tenure as the play-caller, so why would anything change this week? Hubbard has been a top-30 RB in seven straight games, and he saw 16.1% of Carolina’s targets last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
I have no problem in counting on Hubbard as a viable Flex option in this spot as a volume play — even against a reasonably strong run defense.
Wide Receivers
Mike Evans: I have zero concerns that Evans was only able to earn four targets against the Saints last week – a defense that has silenced him since CB Marshon Latimore joined the secondary.
In Week 13 against Carolina, Evans was the WR7.
MORE: Katz’s Dynasty Trade Advice
The rest of the NFL world hasn’t had much of an answer for Evans, however, and we’ve seen enough spike games this season to bank on him in all settings this week. The future Hall of Famer has a touchdown or a 35-yard catch in 10 of his past 11 games — a streak I fully expect to extend through this week.
His cost on the DFS sites isn’t prohibitive either, so you have my blessing to go that route if you don’t have a season-long team to track.
Chris Godwin: The volume is trending in Godwin’s favor significantly, with 38 targets over his past four and a 20-yard catch in each of those games — averaging 91.8 receiving yards per game. The veteran receiver sneaks his way into my WR2 tier against the Panthers.
He still ranks behind Evans for me, and there is some risk here, given the number of looks that Evans/White garner consistently – not to mention the Panthers owning a top-10 pass defense in yards per pass. That said, with Mayfield gaining confidence in Godwin, I trust his catch count to be more than suitable in PPR formats.
Adam Thielen: Sneaky play of the week? With six catches in consecutive weeks and facing a Buccaneers defense that allows a league-high 73.7% of opponent yards to come through the air, a vintage performance to round out this season is on the table.
In Week 13 against Tampa Bay, Thielen was WR50. The rough first meeting only fuels my contrarian play for Carolina’s WR1. The path is there for Thielen – the only Panther with 480-plus receiving yards this season – to be a difference-maker this week.
But without a touchdown since Week 6, the case for upside is a bit thin.
The Panthers view every week as an opportunity to learn more about rookie QB Bryce Young, and if they unleash him in a significant way, Thielen has access to nice DFS value. He’s $300 cheaper than an in-form Godwin and a peaking Jayden Reed — two players on desperate teams.
Tight Ends
Cade Otton: The king of cardio at the position remains just that. Otton was able to earn six targets in the loss to the Saints on Sunday, his most since early November — he turned them into 2.0 fantasy points.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Mayfield has, for the most part, performed above expectations this season, but with three strong target-earners well ahead of him, Otton isn’t a player who needs to be on your TE streaming radar for Week 18.
Trending Start/Sit Searches
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter in up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start Trevor Lawrence or Baker Mayfield?
Give me Trevor Lawrence here. Both signal-callers are playing in big spots, so give me Lawrence’s ceiling if all of his weapons are indeed back in the mix.
The matchup with the Tennessee Titans for the Jacksonville Jaguars encourages volume through the air, and if you’re telling me I get Lawrence vs. Mayfield with the same number of dropbacks, I’m happy to gamble on Lawrence.
Should You Start Calvin Ridley or Chris Godwin?
This one hinges on health. If Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Lawrence all play, I’ll go with Calvin Ridley in a pass-funnel matchup that struggles to defend receivers down the field.
If Jones sits, I’d pivot to Godwin and his recent volume over the boom-or-bust nature of Ridley. At this moment, I have both ranked as viable Flex plays in all formats.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
