The Carolina Panthers have no incentive to rest their starters on Sunday, since a loss could knock them out of the NFC's No. 1 seed even with a 14-2 record, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer.
No reason exists for Panthers to rest Cam Newton, QB can remain in fantasy lineups
The once 14-0 Panthers could somehow be knocked out of the NFC’s top seed on Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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A Panthers loss and a Cardinals win would put the Panthers in second place in the conference, after the Falcons became the first team in 2015 to put a tally in Carolina's loss column. As a result, the Panthers' matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has added importance that it would not have had if they had come away with a win in Week 16.
Fantasy impact: It is good news for fantasy owners who play their championships in Week 17, as another meaningful game means another start for MVP candidate Cam Newton. He draws a Buccaneers defense that limited him to just 124 passing yards in Week 4, but it would be inadvisable to bench a player with Newton's upside.
Newton remains a high-end QB1 in a game with high importance to the Panthers, and fantasy owners can keep him in lineups as usual.
