Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or Chase Brown

Sunday, December 22, 11:25 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) injured his hamstring in the Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 and was ruled out. It was a frustrating night for anyone that used Shepard in their starting fantasy lineups in deeper leagues, as he ends up finishing the contest with only one reception on three targets for 20 yards. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher injured his hamstring during a run in the third quarter. If he is unable to play in Week 17 versus the division-rival Carolina Panthers in a good matchup, Trey Palmer would most likely serve as Tampa's No. 3 wideout behind Mike Evans and rookie Jalen McMillan. Shepard came into the Week 16 game on Sunday night outside of the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points scored per game this year, so he hasn't been much more than a bye-week streamer, even with Chris Godwin (ankle) out for the season.

Sunday, December 22, 11:03 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown ran for 91 yards off 18 carries in Sunday's win over the Browns. He added three catches for 18 yards. Although Brown didn't find the end zone, fantasy managers were likely satisfied with his performance. With Cincinnati still in the playoff hunt, the Bengals will look for a win over the Broncos in Week 17. The Denver defense has allowed a fifth-best 18.7 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign. While Brown will likely have a tougher time getting it done for managers, he remains a must-start in all fantasy formats.