Perfect DFS Showdown Lineup for Panthers/Buccaneers: Bucky Irving Rolls to Playoffs
In this story:
We have a few division-deciding games on our plates this weekend. The first one will be the first game that will be played all weekend. This will have the Panthers taking on the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. The Panthers have a much higher chance to win the division, even if they lose. However, it does matter a ton. That makes it also a fun, standalone DFS slate to play for profit. This is our analysis.
Best MVP/Captain Picks
As is the case many weeks, Quarterbacks and Kickers will be the highest owned MVP's.
Irving is my highest value play, as he is also my highest percentage Touchdown Scorer at 49%. In any game script, Irving excels. He is very safe.
If you like the Panthers, roll with Dowdle. He is the RB1, commanding about 60% of their rushing volume. Dowdle is the highest probability Touchdown Scorer on the Panthers.
Best MVP Captain Picks:
- Bucky Irving
- Rico Dowdle
Quarterback: Bryce Young vs Baker Mayfield
I am projecting a gamescript to favor a heavier pass game for Young. The Panthers are (3.0) point underdogs, and I like the Buccaneers by nearly a touchdown in this spot. The Panthers are actually ust the FPI 25th best team in the NFL. They have performed above expectation. The Buccaneers are 31st versus Quarterbacks, so Young is very play-able.
Baker Mayfield on Bucs injury reports this season:
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) December 30, 2025
Week 3: foot/toe
Week 4: right biceps
Week 5: knee/right biceps
Week 8: knee
Week 10: knee/oblique
Week 11: illness
Week 13: left shoulder
Week 14: left shoulder
Week 15: left shoulder
Week 18: knee/right shoulder
Mayfield finally looked like his first-half self in Week 17, passing for (364) Yards on (44) Attempts. He is off the Week 18 injury report so he may be getting right and the ideal time. I find him slightly overpriced, but with very low risk. Mayfield is play-able, despite facing the Panthers 7th ranked Coverage.
Both Bryce Young and Baker Mayfield are roster-able.
Best Running Back Picks
Bucky Irving is the clear RB1 in Tampa Bay. I project Irving to have about 60% of this rushing offense and 50% of Red Zone Rushes. He very well has the explosivity to go for 125+ All-Purpose Yards. The Panthers are 25th versus Running Backs.
Rachaad White may be the RB2, but he will get enough volume to consider playing. White projects to have about 25% of this Red Zone Rushing Offense. However, he will be very volatile. White has two games over 5-or-less touches and two games of 13-or-more touches in his last seven games altogether.
Rico Dowdle comes into this game on the injury report, but he expects to be a full-go. Dowdle will have about 60% of this Red Zone Rushing Offense, and abut the same amount of the regular Rushing Offense. He has a high-floor while facing the Buccaneers 21st ranked Run Stop.
Canales pretty confident that Rico Dowdle (toe) will be good to go vs. the Bucs.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 30, 2025
Chuba Hubbard has fallen to the RB2 role all year long. He is touchdown reliant, and I rather not use him at 25%, or so, of this rushing offense.
Best Running Back Picks
- Bucky Irving
- Rico Dowdle
Best Wide Receiver Picks
Tetairoa McMillan had falted for a few weeks there, but he is back with (7.0) Targets per Game over his last two games. Seattle provided no help, holding him to just (1) Reception. However, McMillan if off the injury report and we should favor his ceiling. The Buccaneers are 15th versus Wide Receivers. McMillan went 6-for-73 and 1 Touchdown in their Week 15 meeting.
Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette play to too small of roles in a passing offense that averages well below 200 Passing Yards per Game. They are touchdown reliant, and neither player has >15% chance to score.
Mike Evans, as is no surprise, will have a >30% chance to score. By positional standards, this is very good. His volume could be volatile, ranging from 20-35% of a Target Share. We would better trust Evans than many others. The Panthers are 11th versus Wide Receivers.
Chris Godwin is back to his WR2 designation. In a deep offense, he is a testy option. Godwin should have an all-around 20% Target Share. He is relatively safe to use.
Emeka Egbuka is too risky to use given his struggles over the past two months. With Jalen McMillan back, Egbuka could have a sub-15% Target Share.
Emeka Egbuka has ran 1 fewer route than Jalen McMillan since McMillan returned. Uh-oh. pic.twitter.com/KZwJVOHwrA
— Fusue (@DevyEusuf) December 29, 2025
Jalen McMillan is pacing on a near-20% Target Share. He is priced above Egbuka, as FanDuel takes notice. We must hope for a big play to payout big.
Best Wide Receiver Picks
- Tetairoa McMillan
- Mike Evans
- Chris Godwin
- Jalen McMillan
Tight End: Tommy Tremble vs Cade Otton
Following the IR designation of Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tremble rises to the TE1 job. Carolina Tight Ends have (18) Red Zone Targets on the year. Tremble may now have 50-70% of that workload. He is my 3rd-likeliest touchdown scorer on the Panthers.
Cade Otton is good for 2-to-4 receptions in most games. The Buccaneers have too many mouths to feed for me to deem Otton a great play.
Tommy Tremble is the only good Tight End to use.
We like no true-sleeper picks this week.
Defense/Special Teams
Neither defense is top tiered in key metrics. Both offense are solid enough. I do not see ceilings worth playing this week.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:
Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.