The Carolina Panthers will host the Los Angeles Rams this Saturday afternoon in the first matchup of the Wild Card round. The Panthers won the NFC South with an 8-9 record, while the Rams finished second in the NFC West with a 12-5 record. Carolina had a negative 69 point differential this season, while the Rams had a positive 172 point differential. The Rams are big 10.5-point favorites on the road. And amazingly, the Panthers beat the Rams 31-28 in Carolina just six games ago. They did so on some wild fourth down plays, but they did it and they could do it again. Even in the most lopsided matchup of the weekend, we just can’t feel confident about any teams in the playoffs this season.
The last time these two teams met there were plenty of fantasy points to be had. The Rams averaged 7.2 yards per carry between Blake Corum and Kyren Williams, with both scoring, while Bryce Young threw three touchdowns to three different receivers on just 15 completions. As has been the norm, the Panthers run defense was worse than their pass defense. They had Stafford under wraps for much of the game, as he threw two touchdowns to two interceptions and just 243 yards.
The Panthers running backs ran the ball 35 times for 141 yards and no touchdowns, as they tried to hide Young with just 20 attempts. I would expect the Panthers to continue to run the ball to keep Young from needing to win the game, while the Rams will hope to have better fourth down defense and maybe lean more toward the run.
Below we will take a look at the best DFS plays for this Wild Card showdown.
Kyren Williams, RB, Rams (FLEX $11,000, CPT $16,500)
I like both Williams and Blake Corum this week, as the Panthers rank 24th in rush defense DVOA and ninth in fantasy points allowed to running backs. I still believe Matthew Stafford and the passing game are extremely high upside plays, but Carolina has been easier to run on than throw.
Davante Adams, WR, Rams (FLEX $10,400, CPT $15,600)
Puka Nacua has more upside, but on FanDuel, Adams gets a little bump due to the half PPR vs. full PPR of Draftkings. Adams led the way the last time these teams met, as he caught both of Stafford’s touchdown passes. Adams led the league in touchdown receptions and should be healthy after getting time to heal his hamstring over the last few games. As long as he’s a full go, I like playing him over Nacua on FanDuel, but would rather have both if possible.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Panthers (FLEX $9,800, CPT $14,700)
I probably won’t play too many Panthers in the captain’s slot for this matchup, but if I do, I’m going to lean McMillan. McMillan has shown he is an elite receiver in the making and if he were on a better passing offense, I expect he would have blown away the field for OROY. In a game where they could easily trail throughout and by a wide margin, Young is going to need to throw the ball a lot and McMillan should be the top target.
Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers (FLEX $7,000, CPT $10,500)
Coker has been just behind McMillan in targets since Week 13 and has three touchdowns in those five games. He’s overtaken Xavier Legette as the WR2 and has similar upside to McMillan at a cheaper price to roster. The Rams pass defense has been bad to finish out the season, while their run defense has been more productive. I just don’t see Carolina being able to run nearly as often as they did the last time they met and Coker should be in line for a good target day at least.
Blake Corum, RB, Rams (FLEX $7,600, CPT $11,400)
There’s a real possibility that the Rams run and run and run on the Panthers, giving both Williams and Corum good usage. I actually think Corum might be a better player than Williams, so, with enough work, he could be worth a captain’s slot.
Colby Parkinson, TE, Rams (FLEX $5,600, CPT $8,400)
The Rams got Tyler Higbee back last week, while rookie Terrance Ferguson rested his hamstring. Parkinson played a bit more than Higbee, but both caught touchdowns and put up good fantasy numbers. Parkinson has been a staple around the goal line, so like Adams, I prefer his touchdown upside on FanDuel.
