:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65456244/1179894216.jpg.0.jpg)
The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers get Week 6 Sunday NFL action started early with a matchup in London. The Panthers continue to start Kyle Allen in place of an injured Cam Newton, but they will have their most valuable player available.
Running back Christian McCaffrey sat out Wednesday’s practice with a back injury, and that raised some red flags for fantasy owners. However, McCaffrey returned to practice in full on Thursday and Friday and was removed from the final injury report released on Friday.
Fantasy football analysis, Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey
Maintenance days are par for the course at this point in the NFL season, and it appears we’ll be seeing CMC getting such days more often moving forward. He’s on pace for his heaviest workload since entering the NFL, and while he is handling it fine, rest is always a plus.
CMC has 105 rushes and 31 receptions, averaging 27.2 touches per game. That puts him on track for 435 touches, which would blow past last year’s 326 total touches. D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Greg Olsen are all active parts of the offense, but this offense now revolves around CMC. Even when Cam Newton gets back, expect CMC to remain among the most utilized backs in the league.
And against this Bucs team? It’s a fantastic fantasy football start option. You start CMC regardless of opponent, but this should be a particularly enticing matchup for him.