Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Sterling Shepard

Sunday, December 21, 9:24 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans continues to be one of the top scoring threats on his own team. In his return from a six-game absence last week, Evans caught six of his 12 targets for 132 yards despite playing on a modest 55% snap share. He should get on the field even more often in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, continuing to raise his ceiling to a very high level. The veteran is averaging five catches, 68 yards, and 13.3 fantasy points per game when healthy this year. This week, he'll face off against a Panthers defense that gave up six catches, 85 yards, and a touchdown to alpha receiver Chris Olave just last week. Jaycee Horn is a borderline elite cornerback in the Panthers' secondary, but if Olave can overcome the challenging matchup, Evans can, too. The 32-year-old continues to rank as a top-10 fantasy receiver in all leagues ahead of Week 16.

Sunday, December 21, 12:08 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Carolina Panthers. Shepard didn't log a snap in last week's loss to the Falcons, as he saw his role disappear with Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returning from injured reserve. Now, with Tampa Bay carrying only five wide receivers into today's divisional battle with Carolina, Shepard is the odd man out, rather than fellow depth receiver Tez Johnson. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Emeka Egbuka continue to lead this receiver room, while McMillan and Johnson fill depth roles. Shepard can be dropped in most fantasy leagues.