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Fantasy Football Wild Card: Carolina Panthers D/ST Perfect Option for Daily Leagues

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By @BPiv_Sports

Carolina Panthers D-ST

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Just because the regular season is over doesn’t mean we stop playing fantasy football. There are plenty of other leagues going around based on the NFL playoffs. If you are struggling to choose a defense for a playoff challenge or daily league, there’s no defense available with a much better matchup than the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers looked like they were tanking this season, holding a 3-7-1 record after 11 games. However, the team broke out of that shell and four of its last five games on its way to winning the NFC South. The defense’s most dominant performance came in Week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons to determine the division winner. In that game, the defense held Matt Ryan and the Falcons to just three points. The defense picked him off two times, recovered one fumbled and had two touchdowns.

The defense has four interceptions in their last three games and could build on that in the Wild Card game on Saturday. The Panthers will host the Arizona Cardinals and their quarterback, Ryan Lindley. In the final game of the season, Lindley threw for 316 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. With Lindley’s inexperience, the Panthers should have a field day getting pressure and creating turnovers.

To help make the Panthers’ case, the defense has been much better at home than on the road. The team allowed an average of 27 points per game when outside of North Carolina. When at home, the defense holds opponents to just under 20 points per game.

Looking at all of the other defenses, the Panthers are the best one to use. The matchup is great and their salary cost is reasonable as well. In ESPN’s Gridiron Playoff Challenge they are tied for the lowest salary at $4.4 (out of $50.0). On the other hand, they have the highest salary in both FanDuel and Draft Kings at $5,300 and $3,500, respectively.

Regardless of cost, you must use the Panthers defense this week and use them with confidence.

Bill Pivetz is a fantasy sports blogger for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @BPiv_Sports.

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