NFL Nation Fantasy Update - How will contract incentives impact players? - ESPN

The fantasy football playoffs conclude for some who extended their seasons into Week 18. We're still here to help to give you insight into what might be going on with lineups, who's in, who's out and what we might be able to expect with some teams resting players as others vie for playoff positioning or a postseason berth.

Each Tuesday and Saturday during the season, ESPN fantasy analyst Eric Moody will ask our NFL Nation reporters the most pressing questions heading into the weekend and what to make of the fallout after games are played. Who is primed for a big performance, who is impacted by injuries and what roles might change? Here's what our crew had to say about some of the biggest storylines heading into the final week of the NFL regular season.

Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield will be «full-go,» and «I expect him to be the same as he always was.» The biggest issue with the ribs is tenderness and he said he'll combat that by staying warm and loose. The Panthers have a stingy pass defense but Mayfield said Carolina does leave Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans one-on-one, and as Mayfield said, «We're going to look for those shots to him» and «he is always ready for those moments,» Evans had 162 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Panthers in Week 13. — Jenna Laine

Need a boom or bust candidate for your critical fantasy football matchup? Here are some player outlooks, with help from AI-generated insights built with IBM watsonx.

The list of options at QB is shrinking this week, but C.J. Stroud is a very usable option. He threw for 384 yards in the first meeting with the Colts and has a high-end projection of 23.6 FPTS in Week 18.

Mike Evans and the Buccaneers can clinch the NFC South with a win over the