Thursday Night Football always seems to bring with it some extra difficult fantasy football lineup decisions.
Like, for example, whether you should start or sit Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.
The Panthers are going to Lambeau Field hoping to rebound from a disaster against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Carolina is also shorthanded due to injuries, although that looks like it’ll impact the defense more than the offense. It’s worth noting that the Panthers’ offensive line is far from full strength, though.
So that brings us to Young. He’s had a stronger passing season than just about anyone expected. But at Lambeau on Thursday, can you trust him?
Should I Start Bryce Young?
Our instincts say, just barely, that starting Young is risky business and he may be worth sitting on Thursday night.
This all depends on your league size and format, of course.
Young is a starter in any 2-QB or Superflex leagues, no question.
But in a standard league where you start one quarterback, with 10 or 12 teams in your league, Young might be just on the outside looking in.
Bryce Young Fantasy Ranking Week 8
ESPN’s Week 8 rankings align with Young being right on the border. They rank him as their No. 11 QB for the week.
That includes a ranking as high as No. 9 from one of their analysts and a ranking as low as No. 14 from another. It averages out to the 11th spot.
Of course, this isn’t done in a vacuum. It all depends on whether you have a better option than Young.
The 10 players ESPN lists ahead of Young are Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford and Geno Smith.
The likes of Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins and even Caleb Williams, Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes are behind Young. Even in tough matchups, it’d be tough to sit Caleb or Baker and play Young.
Packers Defense
The Packers have had a solid pass defense this season. They’ve allowed the 21st-most passing yards (meaning they’re in the better half of the league as far as pass defense).
They’ve also allowed just nine TD passes in seven games, and they’ve also intercepted nine passes.
It’s tough to justify starting Young against a defense with those numbers that will be at home in a primetime game.
If your other QB is on a bye this week — potentially Brock Purdy or C.J. Stroud, or even J.J. McCarthy or Tyler Shough — then you can feel OK about Young.
But in a one-QB league, there’s a chance it’s another rough day at the office for Young.
The biggest hope is that it becomes a shootout, but that’s far from a given.
Should I Start Bryce Young? Week 8 Fantasy Football Outlook for Panthers QB