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The Panthers have already lost three starting offensive linemen to injury, but will now also be without their signal caller on defense and starting middle linebacker. They’ll hope he can be cleared in time for Week 9.

Taylor struggled throughout behind an injury-ravaged offensive line against a defense many before him had found success against. He salvaged his fantasy outing with a touchdown plunge from one yard out in the fourth quarter to bring the team within seven points, a deficit they ultimately fell short of overcoming. The Colts could also be turning back to rookie Riley Leonard under center moving forward now that they are eliminated from the playoffs, something that could dent his fantasy upside over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Rivers and the Colts traded blows with the 49ers throughout the first half, with the aging veteran connecting with Alec Pierce for two scores before the break. The Colts would struggle to keep the momentum rolling into the second half while managing just 10 points after the break, but many will likely be left with the memory of the surgical precision the 44-year-old showed to open the game rather than the couple of under-thrown balls late. The Colts were eliminated from the postseason with the loss, potentially signaling a change back to rookie Riley Leonard under center for the team’s final two games of the regular season. Either way, Rivers’ return to the league after five years will go down as one of the crazier storylines of the 2025 season and should only pad his chances of heading to the Hall of Fame.

The offense was focused heavily on George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey throughout, likely invoked by the heavy Cover-3 rates of the Indianapolis defense in the absence of Sauce Gardner. Robinson snuck in an early touchdown as the two teams traded blows in the first half before disappearing into irrelevancy once more. Fellow role-playing wide receiver Kendrick Bourne caught 3-of-5 targets for 27 yards while playing more offensive snaps than Robinson, earning a sizable $500,000 bonus for going over 500 yards on the season.

All five of his receptions and his touchdown came after he was blanked on one target in the first half, pulling a solid fantasy outing out of seemingly nowhere. The San Francisco offensive game plan revolved around Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle before the break, a clever way of Kyle Shanahan taking advantage of the absence of Sauce Gardner and the elevated Cover-3 rates from the Colts. That tune changed some after Kittle departed with an ankle injury at the end of the third quarter, with Jennings stepping into an elevated role within Shanahan’s dynamic scheme. Jennings could once again operate as a primary option through the air in Week 17 against the Bears, pending the health of Kittle and Ricky Pearsall.

McCaffrey was once again the primary cog of the offense, this time dismantling a top five run defense in the Colts - albeit one dealing with numerous injuries. He hit the century mark on the ground for only the third time this season while adding two receiving touchdowns to his ledger, the second of which was a gift from the fantasy Gods after backup tight end Jake Tonges appeared to get both feet down in the end zone for what would ahve been his fifth score of the season, only for the refs to miss it on the field and for head coach Kyle Shanahan to run a play instead of throwing the challenge flag. McCaffrey and the 49ers can earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC with wins against the Bears and Seahawks the next two weeks.

The 49ers leaned on running back Christian McCaffrey heavily throughout but the touchdown variance swung hard in Purdy’s favor, tossing two scores to McCaffrey, one to George Kittle, one to Demarcus Robinson, and capping it off with one to Jauan Jennings. Purdy’s only blemish went down as a tipped ball interception in the fourth quarter but the defense would add a pick-six on the following possession for the team’s highest scoring output of the season as they keep their eyes fixed on the No. 1 seed. They’ll need to beat the Bears and Seahawks in the final two weeks to secure the only bye out of the NFC, which begins on a short week when they host Chicago in Week 17.

Kittle tweaked his ankle near the end of the third quarter and was almost immediately labeled questionable to return. He erupted for 115 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions in under three quarters prior to departing. Look for Jauan Jennings to step up for the remainder of the game if Kittle can’t return with Ricky Pearsall also out.

Gardner’s absence is likely the most detrimental after the Colts shifted away from a Cover-3-heavy structure in favor of increased rates of man coverage after acquiring the standout cornerback at the trade deadline. Expect the team to turn back to a Cover-3 base in his stead in what amounts to a must-win game for the Colts.

Pearsall’s absence should thrust Kendrick Bourne into a primary perimeter role opposite Jauan Jennings, the latter of whom is likeliest to see his volume boosted slightly. Furthering that potential is the absence of Indianapolis cornerback Sauce Gardner, likely shifting the Colts’ defense back into heavy rates of Cover-3 after utilizing man coverages at one of the highest rates in the league with Gardner on the field this season.

McDuffie, who missed the team’s Week 16 loss to the Titans, continues to deal with a knee injury sustained in Week 14, which is a massive blow to a defense that operates primarily from nickel. It remains to be seen if McDuffie will make it back this season or if the team will simply place him on season-ending injured reserve.