The Panthers and Bears are expected to be involved in a low-scoring game when they open Week 10 on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video). With an over/under of fewer than 39 points and two volatile rookie quarterbacks, it's a hard game to predict from a reality and fantasy football standpoint.
Top-overall pick Bryce Young was dreadful in his worst start of the season against the Colts at home in Week 9. Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent has been up-and-down as a playmaking starter over the past three games, going 1-2 with some competent passing and some surprise running juice filling in for Justin Fields (thumb).
There are not a lot of inspiring plays here, even with two poor defensive teams that have allowed plenty of big games across multiple positions. Here's our complete start-sit advice for Carolina vs. Chicago on TNF:
MORE THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
DK lineup | FD lineup | ATS pick | Best props | Herbert update
Panthers: Who to start, sit in fantasy football on TNF
Sit: QB Bryce Young
Young is QB26 on the season in terms of total points. The Panthers keep sticking with him despite the rookie struggles so he can further develop on the fly. Chicago's defensive numbers say Young can produce well, but his poor play last week vs. the Colts says he can't. The Bears' defense is improving, so take the safe route unless you're absolutely desperate in single-QB leagues.
WEEK 10 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Start: RB Chuba Hubbard
The Bears have a strong run defense, allowing fewer than 80 rushing yards per game. The Panthers' run offense, which is now headlined by Hubbard after Miles Sanders' groin injury, has sputtered, but Hubbard can be busy on check-downs and short passes. He remains the best bet to score a short TD.
Sit: RB Miles Sanders
Why did they pay him $6 million a season again? Sanders has flashed as a runner and receiver for his new team when healthy, but that hasn't been the case much with his sore groin. Hubbard has been more reliably available, and he should start the game as Carolina's featured runner again. If he struggles, Sanders could see a sudden uptick in touches, but based on recent results, you can't go here.
Start: WR Adam Thielen
Thielen has the best passing game matchup here for Young as a short-to-intermediate target vs. the Bears' vulnerable linebackers and nickel-back Kyler Gordon. Thielen has a good history against the Bears from his NFC North days with the Vikings, and he should rebound well from his Colts clunker.
WEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Sit: WR Jonathan Mingo
There will be no DJ Chark (elbow) or Laviska Shenault Jr. (ankle) available for the Panthers behind Thielen. That should give Mingo more opportunities, but he can also be contained well in a tough matchup vs. Jaylon Johnson outside.
Sit: TE Hayden Hurst
The Bears can be vulnerable against tight ends, but his targets aren't reliable and there's not much of a floor here.
Sit: D/ST Panthers
The Panthers are scrambling to field enough competent, healthy defensive players to have a starting lineup, so despite the favorable matchup against Tyson Bagent, you can't go here on the road in prime time.
WEEK 10 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Start: K Eddy Pineiro
It's a revenge game for the former Bear, which means he will be celebrating with a doink or two.
WEEK 10 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Bears: Who to start, sit in fantasy football on TNF
Sit: QB Tyson Bagent
The Bears did a quick 180 on the optimism that Justin Fields (thumb) could play. However, Bagent did his best Fields impression last week. Despite three interceptions on the road against the Saints, he finished with good fantasy digits with a pair of TDs passing and 70 yards rushing. He was solid in his debut home start against the Raiders despite not producing key fantasy points. That will likely be the case again this week, as Chicago's rushing success will limit his volume after he takes care of his two top targets.
Start: WR DJ Moore
Moore will be motivated to blow up once again on a Thursday night. He destroyed the Commanders earlier this season in a historic game near his native DMV, and now he gets to rip into his former team and weak secondary with no answers for him. This could turn into Moore's second-best game in the name of revenge, even with Bagent.
Sit: WR Darnell Mooney
Bagent and Mooney have some chemistry, but they've the Bears' receivers are too much of a committee after Moore.
Start: RB D'Onta Foreman | Sit: RB Roschon Johnson, RB Khalil Herbert, and RB Darrynton Evans
Foreman does well when his teams are winning, going back to his days in Tennessee and Carolina. He'll likely be in supersub mode with Johnson still getting limited run in relation to Evans (who seems to be preferred in some situations) and Herbert (ankle) returning from a four-game hiatus. Foreman can rumble for 60-plus yards and a TD in a positive game script.
Start: TE Cole Kmet
The numbers say the Panthers are good against the tight end, but they are shaky at safety now with key injuries. There's a good chance Kmet will line up against hobbled linebacker Deion Jones. Kmet keeps it going, hooking up well with Bagent and having a good shot to score again.
Start: Bears D/ST
The Bears' defense is getting better, and it now has some major pass-rush help from Montez Sweat. We know they can stop the run, and now they have enough playmakers up front and in the secondary to make them a fine stream vs. Young, who threw two pick-sixes vs. the Colts on Sunday.
Sit: K Cairo Santos
"When Cairo was in Egypt's land ... let my Cairo go!"
Panthers vs. Bears: DraftKings Showdown lineup
- Captain (1.5X): Bears RB D'Onta Foreman $12,900
- FLEX: Panthers WR Adam Thielen $11,800
- FLEX: Bears WR D.J. Moore $10,600
- FLEX: Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard $8,000
- FLEX: Bears D/ST $4,600
- FLEX: Bears RB Darrynton Evans $1,800
Foreman is a front-running back. When his team is positioned to dominate in the running game and play with a significant lead, he comes through. This could play out much like the Raiders game, making this a total smash spot. Thielen has a sweet slot matchup, while Moore can torch his former team's bad corners. Hubbard will get it done with receptions, while the Bears are a correlated D play with Foreman. Evans is a cheap extension of that.
Panthers vs. Bears: FanDuel single-game lineup
- MVP (1.5X): Bears RB D'Onta Foreman $11,500
- AnyFLEX: Panthers WR Adam Thielen $15,000
- AnyFLEX: Bears WR D.J. Moore $13,000
- AnyFLEX: Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard $12,500
- AnyFLEX: Bears RB Darrynton Evans $6,500
Look familiar? Everything is the same here except no Bears defense. This implies Moore will make big plays early to build the lead while Foreman and Evans run out the clock and Thielen and Hubbard get volume from Young's short passing.
