Fantasy football projections, Week 13: Buccaneers vs. Panthers featuring Mike Glennon, Cam Newton and Steve Smith

We break down the Week 13 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers.

Dec 1, 2013, 12:02 PM UTC

Chris Trotman

The Week 13 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers could end up being rather lopsided. We've got all the fantasy projections for you courtesy of numberFire.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Running back Bobby Rainey burst on to the scene against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. He notched a trio of touchdowns and ran for 163 yards on 30 carries. That effort made him one of the hottest waiver wire pickups in the game instantly. Fantasy owners who grabbed him must have been disappointed when he followed up with just 35 yards on 18 carries against the Detroit Lions last week.

As he's still inconsistent, Rainey and the Bucs will need quarterback Mike Glennon to play perhaps the best game of his career against Carolina on Sunday. Glennon will be up against a great secondary that is playing outstanding football right now. That's a tall order for even an elite quarterback. Glennon's fantasy owners may want to leave him on the bench this week.

Carolina Panthers

Most people probably didn’t expect the Carolina Panthers to be one of the best teams in the NFL going into Week 13, but that’s exactly where the organization finds itself. Quarterback Cam Newton has a lot to do with that. He’s thrown 15 touchdowns to go with just four turnovers over the last seven games, all wins for the Panthers. He’ll rarely post high volumes in terms of passing yards, but he takes care of the ball and finds his share of touchdowns. That makes him a solid mid-level fantasy quarterback on the cusp of the elite class.

Receiver Steve Smith may end up connecting with Newton a lot if the game against the Patriots becomes a shootout. Smith caught five passes for 69 yards last week. He can produce consistently, but he's been held without a touchdown for over a month. Fantasy owners also need to be aware he'll probably draw Darrelle Revis in coverage this week.