Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or James Conner

Friday, December 27, 12:52 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot, hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. Shepard exited last week's contest due to a hamstring injury. In addition, he has been dealing with a lingering foot issue. The Buccaneers need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, so look for Baker Mayfield to lean on his wide receivers Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, Ryan Miller, and Trey Palmer in the passing game. McMillan should be the biggest beneficiary of Shepard missing the game. The Buccaneers are 8.5-point favorites at home versus the Carolina Panthers, and game flow may play in favor of running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White.

Sunday, December 29, 1:22 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) never returned to the game after re-injuring his knee in the first quarter. It appeared as though Conner got twisted up on during a fourth-down rushing attempt in the first quarter. After that run, we saw Conner being attended to on the sideline by athletic trainers, and he never re-entered the game. Conner ended the game with just four carries for four yards and two receptions for four receiving yards. This caps a tough ending to the season for James Conner's fantasy managers, and his status for Week 18 is up in the air. Given that the Cardinals are eliminated from playoff contention, it may be an uphill battle for Conner to play in Week 18 when the Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers.