Who Should I Start? Zach Charbonnet or Bryce Young

Friday, January 9, 2:50 PM

Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet will enjoy a well-earned week of rest, with the Seahawks having secured the NFC's top seed, and when he returns to action for the Divisional Round, he will be looking to extend his three-game touchdown streak. Charbonnet found the end zone four times over the final three games of the regular season, finishing no lower than RB17 in Half-PPR formats during that time, including back-to-back top-6 performances to close the season. More impressively, all three games came against NFC teams that qualified for the playoffs. After finishing the regular season with 12 rushing touchdowns in a split backfield, Charbonnet should be viewed as a boom or bust running back option in fantasy playoff leagues, with his recent history suggesting a likelihood to boom.

Saturday, January 10, 12:30 PM

Across 16 games in 2025, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The 24-year-old proved himself to be an effective game manager, but he struggled to produce consistent fantasy production in Carolina's run-heavy offense. Young topped 200 passing yards in just four games during the regular season. The Panthers' offense will face a tough test in the first round of the NFC playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles finished the regular season ranked 11th in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.8) and tied for seventh in sacks (47). It's worth noting that Young was highly efficient in the Panthers' Week 13 win over the Rams, completing 15 of 20 pass attempts for 206 yards and three touchdowns without committing a turnover. However, Carolina leaned heavily into the run game in that matchup with 40 total rush attempts. That could be the game plan again in the playoffs, which would limit Young's opportunities for production. All in all, Young profiles as a difficult quarterback for fantasy managers in playoff leagues to trust against the Rams.