The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Week 15 matchup between the Panthers and Cowboys.
Find a breakdown of every Week 15 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| Dallas | Rank | @ | Carolina | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spread | -1 | ||
| 21.25 | Implied Total | 22.25 | ||
| 20.6 | 21 | Points/Gm | 17.9 | 28 |
| 28.2 | 31 | Points All./Gm | 29.8 | 32 |
| 64.8 | 4 | Plays/Gm | 59 | 29 |
| 62.3 | 18 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 66.8 | 31 |
| 5 | 25 | Off. Yards/Play | 5 | 26 |
| 5.9 | 29 | Def. Yards/Play | 5.8 | 27 |
| 35.59% | 29 | Rush% | 41.07% | 23 |
| 64.41% | 4 | Pass% | 58.93% | 10 |
| 47.28% | 25 | Opp. Rush % | 51.21% | 32 |
| 52.72% | 8 | Opp. Pass % | 48.79% | 1 |
- This snaps a 33-game streak where the Panthers have been underdogs, the longest streak in the league. The Patriots (14 games) now have the longest streak as an underdog.
- Carolina has been 18th in offensive EPA since Bryce Young took over in Week 8 (-4.84) after ranking 27th in Weeks 1-7 (-61.53).
- The Cowboys have the worst EPA on offense in the league since Week 8 (-58.37).
- The Cowboys have scored a touchdown on 14.6% of their drives over their past seven games, the lowest rate in the league.
- The Panthers are allowing 5.2 yards per passing play over their past five games (4th) after allowing a league-high 7.5 yards prior.
- Dallas has trailed by double-digits for a league-high 37.2% of their offensive snaps.
Trust = spike production for that player
Quarterback
Bryce Young: Young has looked the part over this recent run since taking back the starter role more than at any point in his rookie season.
The offense has climbed out of the league's cellar in most categories to mid-range and functional, which is a big step forward.
Carolina has played competitive games against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Eagles the past three weeks, all teams aiming to make the postseason.
Young has pushed the ball downfield more since getting another shot under center.
He is averaging 8.8 air yards per attempt since returning, which is 6th in the league.
He has also been much better under pressure than we had seen over his rookie season until his benching.
Since returning to the lineup, Young is averaging 6.9 yards per attempt (10th) under pressure.
Most importantly, he has only taken a sack on 10.3% of his pressures, which is 4th in the league.
Young averaged a league-low 4.0 Y/A under pressure as a rookie while taking a sack on a league-high 26.8% of his pressures.
As positive of a development as this has been in drawing out hope from the fan base, Young has not stuffed the box score for fantasy gamers, which leaves him as a 2QB option.
Since returning, Young has been QB27 in points per game (15.3), but he is QB9 in expected points per game (19.5).
Since his return, he has had a few tougher matchups against Denver and Philadelphia, while this matchup is more boom-or-bust.
While still a fantasy QB2, this matchup does offer more appeal than last week’s layout.
It is good that he has improved his handling of pressure because Dallas is 5th in the league in pressure rate (38.1%).
When Dallas has not generated pressure, they have struggled on the back end.
Without pressure, Dallas has allowed a 74.6% completion rate (28th), 8.7 Y/A (31st), and a 5.6% touchdown rate (28th).
Cooper Rush: Since taking over as the starter, Rush has been the QB32 in fantasy points per game (12.8), closing out one of those weeks higher than the QB18 in weekly scoring.
Rush has completed 9.8% fewer passes over that span than expected, ahead of only Drew Lock (-10.6%).
His 38.7% success rate is ahead of only Will Levis.
Rush is a back-end QB2.
This matchup may not be as elevating as it would have been earlier in the season.
Over their past five games, Carolina has allowed 6.5 yards per pass attempt, which is 5th in the league.
Over that run, they have faced Derek Carr and Daniel Jones to drag things down, as well as Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts.
Carr had the most yards per attempt (7.6 Y/A) against Carolina over that stretch.
Running Back
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More Week 15 Fantasy Breakdowns From The Worksheet:
| Matchup | Time |
|---|---|
| Rams @ 49ers -- FREE | Thursday Night Football |
| Chiefs @ Browns | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Bengals @ Titans | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Commanders @ Saints | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Ravens @ Giants | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Cowboys @ Panthers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Jets @ Jaguars | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Dolphins @ Texans | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Colts @ Broncos | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Bills @ Lions | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Steelers @ Eagles | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Patriots @ Cardinals | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Bucs @ Chargers | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Packers @ Seahawks | Sunday Night Football |
| Bears @ Vikings -- FREE | Monday Night Football |
| Falcons @ Raiders -- FREE | Monday Night Football |
