Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young→ his ranking

Young arrived in the NFL as the first overall pick in the 2023 Draft, bringing with him legitimate questions about his size (5'10" and 205 pounds). What he lacks physically, Young compensates for with football intelligence. His ability to read defenses, manage the pocket, and process route combinations quickly made him a viable prospect despite an arm that scouts flagged as below par.

Carolina planned to build around those strengths, deploying him as a pocket passer who could exploit his quick release and innate feel for timing routes. His legs were always part of the equation too — not as a designed runner, but as a pressure valve to avoid sacks and extend drives.

His college resume was hard to argue with. Over his final two seasons at Alabama, Young completed 65.9% of his passes for 8,200 yards with 79 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. His 2021 campaign was the headliner (4,782 yards and 50 touchdowns), and he added a more credible rushing dimension the following year (49/185/4). He played behind a strong offensive line with elite receiving talent around him, a context worth noting when projecting his NFL ceiling.

His grip-and-release style produces more carry on the ball than it appears at the point of release, but his throws lack consistent crispness. His completion windows will tighten in the NFL, and the improvisational magic that bailed him out in college will generate far fewer chunk plays against professional defenses.

His rookie season confirmed those concerns. Young went 2-14, passed for fewer than 200 yards in 11 games, including nine of his final 10 starts, during which he completed just 56.7% of his attempts and delivered meaningful fantasy value in only two outings (247/3 and 329/2). He showed burst as a runner when called upon, averaging 6.5 yards per carry on 30 attempts, and missed one early game with an ankle injury.

Year two told a more complicated story. Young stumbled badly out of the gate (161/0 and 84/0 in his first two games), prompting Carolina to bench him for five weeks. What followed was quietly encouraging. Over his final 10 starts, he averaged 210 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while becoming a more active and dangerous runner (37/223/5). His 21.78 fantasy points per game over that stretch, in four-point passing touchdown formats, would rank inside the top 10 at quarterback if sustained over a full season. The exclamation point came in Week 18, when he piled up 275 combined yards and five touchdowns in his most complete professional performance to date.

Young comes off career highs in passing yards (3,011) and touchdowns (23) while working more as a game manager (29.9 passes per game). His completion rate (63.6%) pushed higher, but Young continued to have a dink-and-dunk outcome in his yards per pass attempt (6.3).

Over his 17 starts, including the postseason, he passed for fewer than 200 yards in 12 games, with eight coming over his first nine starts. Young surprised in Week 2 (328/3) and Week 11 (448/3) while posting a high fantasy floor over his final two matchups (266/2 and 288/2).

Options: Kenny Pickett, Will Grier, Haynes King

Chuba Hubbard→ his ranking

Hubbard's NFL workload began in earnest in 2021, when Carolina handed him 197 touches behind Christian McCaffrey, producing 786 combined yards, six touchdowns, and 25 catches. His efficiency left something to be desired (3.6 yards per rush and 7.0 yards per catch), but he still managed five usable fantasy weeks (18.40, 13.50, 15.10, 15.80, and 13.60 points in PPR). That usage faded down the stretch, as Carolina limited him to just 7.9 touches per game over the final nine weeks.

His 2022 season opened with Hubbard buried on the depth chart, managing just six carries for 34 yards and a single catch through six weeks. A Christian McCaffrey trade appeared to clear his path, but an ankle injury in Week 7, suffered during a 73-yard, one-touchdown performance, sidelined him for two additional games and stalled any momentum. Worse, he found himself sharing time with D'Onta Foreman for much of the second half of the season, limiting him to 80 carries for 368 yards and a touchdown, plus 11 catches for 160 yards, over Carolina's final eight games. His only notable fantasy weeks in that stretch came in Week 14 (18.90) and Week 16 (12.60).

Despite Carolina bringing in Miles Sanders for 2023, Hubbard proved to be the better back, setting career highs across nearly every category (1,135 combined yards, five touchdowns, and 39 catches). His big-play ability remained elusive, as he again posted modest efficiency marks (3.8 yards per rush and 6.0 yards per catch). A heavy 150-touch workload over Carolina's final seven games translated to 609 combined yards, four touchdowns, and 16 catches, good for 14.41 FPPG in PPR leagues, but it was only enough for a 27th-place finish among running backs at 182.50 points.

For the third straight year, an injury elsewhere on the roster (this time to Jonathan Brooks) opened the door for Hubbard, and he made the most of it, leading Carolina in both rushing (250/1,195/10) and receiving (43/171/1). An improved offensive line helped him push his per-carry average up to 4.8 yards, his best mark yet, before a right knee injury that didn't require surgery ended his season two games early. He topped 100 rushing yards four times (21/114, 18/104/1, 28/153/1, and 25/152/2) and was notably more productive at home, where he compiled 858 combined yards, seven touchdowns, and 28 catches. Carolina fed him 20 or more touches in six different games, cementing his role as the clear lead back.

Last season, Hubbard came into the fantasy draft season with a higher buzz due to his 2024 success and was expected to have a cleaner path to touches. He opened the year with two competitive showings (98 combined yards with a touchdown and three catches, and 77 combined yards with a touchdown and five catches), followed by competitive outcomes in yards (76 with three catches and 69 with three catches).

A calf injury cost him two starts, followed by disappointing stats over his final 11 games (81/294/1 – 3.8 yards per rush with 17 catches for 129 yards and a score). His only playable fantasy games over this span came in Week 13 (20.30) and the playoffs (19.90). The Panthers gave Hubbard fewer than 10 touches in eight of his final nine games in the regular season.

Hubbard should get close to 200 touches, leading to 800 combined yards with about five touchdowns and 25 catches.

Jonathon Brooks→ his ranking

Brooks spent his first two seasons at Texas in a backup role, playing behind Bijan Robinson and seeing the ball just 54 times in 2021 and 2022. Even in that limited sample, he made his touches count, gaining 389 combined yards and seven touchdowns at an eye-opening 7.2 yards per touch. Once given the keys to the offense, Brooks didn't disappoint. Texas handed him 212 opportunities in 2023, and he responded with 1,425 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 25 catches across just 10 games. From his third game through his tenth, Brooks was remarkably consistent, averaging 159 yards and topping 100 combined yards in every outing. A torn right ACL in mid-November cut his breakout season short.

On tape, Brooks runs with patience, keeping his eyes up and waiting for lanes to develop at the line before exploding through them. That patience pairs well with home-run speed once he hits a crease. His hands graded out favorably despite a relatively small sample of receiving work, and while his pass protection was a work in progress, it's the kind of skill that typically improves with NFL reps.

The combination of explosiveness and third-down upside is what makes Brooks intriguing as a potential difference-maker for a high-profile offense. Over two seasons in the NFL, he’s gained 45 combined yards with three catches on 12 touches while rehabilitating two torn ACLs in his right knee.

I expect Brooks to work in a split role in the run game, while having the advantage on passing downs.

Trevor Etienne→ his ranking

Carolina spent a fourth-round pick on Etienne, who never had a full-time backfield role during stops at Florida and Georgia. Across three college seasons and 34 games, he piled up 2,081 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on 371 attempts (a strong 5.6 yards-per-carry average), while adding 62 receptions for 432 yards and a score through the air. A rib injury cost him time in 2024, and Etienne was held out of Week 1 after a DUI arrest that was later dismissed.

On tape, his running style flows well: he reads blocks effectively and has the burst and lateral quickness to slip tackles both between the tackles and in space. Etienne's also got the hands, route savvy, and blitz-pickup ability to project as a legitimate third-down weapon. What's missing is top-end explosiveness. He doesn't have a true second gear for breaking off long runs, and Etienne can get caught off guard in pass protection when facing free rushers.

At 5'8" and 200 pounds, Etienne is on the smaller side for an NFL back and was just 21 when he entered the league. Despite a college resume that wasn't eye-popping, Etienne has the tools to outperform his draft profile at the next level. He clocked a 4.42 in the 40 at the Combine, and football fans will recognize the family name — his brother Travis Etienne went to Jacksonville in the 2021 draft.

Tetairoa McMillan→ his ranking

McMillian was a featured target in Arizona's offense over his final two seasons, posting 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 scores, followed by 84 grabs for 1,319 yards and 8 touchdowns. He averaged 16.1 yards per reception across his college career and made 33 starts over three seasons. Three times he topped 200 receiving yards in a single game (11/266/1, 10/304/4, and 10/202/1), and McMillian cleared 100 yards on nine other occasions (7/132/2, 8/161/1, 6/138, 9/107/1, 8/116/1, 10/160, 11/138, 8/161, and 9/115). Over his last 16 starts, he hauled in at least six catches in 13 of them, setting a remarkably consistent floor.

At 6'4" and 220 pounds, McMillian brings the kind of frame that draws Mike Evans comparisons, and he pairs it with surprising speed for his size, running around 4.50 in the 40-yard dash. McMillian is a legitimate threat down the field and over the middle, with enough explosiveness after the catch to turn short gains into chunk plays. His route-running has a smooth, deliberate tempo that sets up defenders well for double moves and breaks.

He catches with his hands away from his body and uses his long wingspan to his advantage, which should translate into red-zone production on fades and contested jump balls. Early in his career, I'd expect a trajectory similar to Michael Pittman's, but McMillian's big-play upside gives him a higher ceiling than that comparison suggests.

His rookie season led to 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns on 122 targets, ranking McMillian 15th in PPR fantasy points (212.40). He gained an impressive 14.5 yards per catch, with 17 plays gaining at least 20 yards. Despite his success, McMillian scored over 20.00 fantasy points in only one game (8/130/2). He scored between 10.00 and 19.50 fantasy points in 12 of his 18 of his other starts, giving him a consistency factor.

Jalen Coker→ his ranking

After signing with Carolina as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Coker made the most of his reserve role, with an Adam Thielen injury opening the door to more playing time. He turned heads in just his second NFL appearance, hauling in four catches for 68 yards in Week 5, and backed that up with three more solid showings (4/78/1, 4/110/1, and 7/62). A quad injury sidelined him for three games following Carolina's bye week. Of his 32 receptions, six covered 20-plus yards, a chunk-play rate of 18.8%.

His college production at Holy Cross was substantial, totaling 163 catches, 2,684 yards, and 31 touchdowns across three seasons, with a breakout 2023 campaign (59/1,040/15) that showed real development. Standing at 6'3" and 215 pounds, Coker has the size and reliable hands to be a factor near the goal line, and his route work, while not flashy, gives him a dependable baseline. His 40-yard time of 4.57 won't turn heads compared to the league's elite receivers, but it's perfectly acceptable for a player his size. Going forward, he'll need to sharpen his release against press coverage and tighten up the precision of his breaks to take the next step.

After opening the 2025 season with six missed games due to a quad injury, Coker was eased into the Panthers’ offense across six matchups (14/150 on 19 targets). His ceiling shined through in four (4/74/1, 4/60/1, 6/47/1, and 9/134/1) of his final six matchups, including the postseason. His top two target games came in Week 18 (7) and Week 19 (12). Carolina gave Coker WR2 snaps over his final four games.

Xavier Legette→ his ranking

Carolina used the final pick of the first round (No. 32 overall) on Legette in the 2024 draft. A blazing 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine boosted his stock considerably, especially paired with his 6'1", 220-pound frame. He projects best as a downfield weapon. His route-running needs polish, and his release off the line is inconsistent, so most of his production comes once he's 10-plus yards past the line of scrimmage. Legette will win contested catches and can blow past corners on go routes, and he's dangerous once he gets the ball in space.

His college usage was light early on: from 2019 through 2022 at South Carolina, Legette managed just 42 catches, 444 yards, and five scores, with injuries (a hamstring injury in 2020 and a motorcycle accident in 2021) costing him additional time. Everything changed in 2023, when he paced the Gamecocks with 71 catches and 1,255 yards to go with seven touchdowns, averaging a robust 17.7 yards per reception. Four games stood out as career highlights (9/178, 5/189/2, 9/217/2, and 9/120), and Leggette was remarkably steady otherwise, hitting at least five catches in 10 of his 12 starts.

As a rookie, Legette played all 16 games, finishing with 49 catches, 497 yards, and four touchdowns on 84 targets. His catch profile skewed shorter than his college tape suggested, likely a byproduct of Bryce Young needing quicker throwing windows.

His standout outing came in Week 4 (6/76/1), and his only other usable fantasy weeks came when Legette found the end zone (3/23/1, 4/34/1, and 4/39/1), but each of those came with a yards-per-catch average under 10.0. Across his remaining 12 games, he totaled just 32 catches for 325 yards without a touchdown on 57 targets, translating to only 5.38 PPR points per game. A hip injury knocked him out of Week 16.

Legette has the look of a winning backend sleeper wideout in 2025, especially in BestBall formats. Unfortunately, he opened last year with unplayable fantasy stats (8/50/1 on 20 targets) across six weeks while sitting out Weeks 3 and 4 with a hamstring issue. Legette flashed in Week 7 (9/92/1) with some fantasy help four games later (4/83/1). The return of Jalen Coker led to 10 other empty fantasy days (15/146/0 on 29 targets) to end the year.

Chris Brazzell II→ his ranking

Brazzell broke out at Tulane in 2023, posting 44 catches for 711 yards and five touchdowns before transferring to Tennessee. His first year with the Volunteers was unremarkable on the stat sheet (29/333/2), but he turned a corner this past season, posting 62 receptions, 1,017 yards, and nine scores. The heart of his production came in a four-game stretch (Tennessee's second through fifth games), where Brazzell posted 9/125/2, 6/177/3, 5/62/1, and 6/105/1 outcomes, with his signature performance coming against Georgia.

What makes Brazzell intriguing is the rare blend of size and speed: he stands 6'4" and 200 pounds, yet ran a 4.37 in the 40 at the Combine. That combination lets him win down the field on contested deep balls and makes him a real red-zone threat. The flip side is that his physical style of attacking the catch point will likely draw flags for offensive pass interference at the next level, which could dent his catch rate early on. Brazzell will also need to prove he can separate against press coverage in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Once on the move in space, he's capable of explosive gains, with the hand strength to pull in passes outside his frame. Brazzell isn't purely a track star with a jersey — there's real substance to his game, but the rough edges suggest he could need some time to adjust to the NFL level.

Ja’Tavion Sanders→ his ranking

Sanders gives Carolina an immediate boost in receiving production at tight end for his rookie season. He poses a real threat at the second level of defenses, particularly working across the middle on crossing routes. His run-blocking is serviceable for now and should only get better as he adds weight and strength. He also flashed big-play ability in college, averaging 15.2 yards per catch in 2023.

The Panthers selected Sanders in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Over his last two seasons at Texas, he hauled in 99 passes for 1,295 yards and seven scores, with his strongest individual season coming in 2022 (54/613/5). In 2023, Sanders turned in three standout performances (5/114, 5/110, and 8/105/1).

In his rookie campaign, Sanders logged snaps on 51.4% of Carolina's offensive plays — the highest rate among the team's tight ends, aided by Tommy Tremble missing five games. He converted 33 of his 43 targets into receptions (a 76.7% catch rate) for 342 yards and a touchdown. His fantasy ceiling showed up in three games (5/49, 6/61, and 4/87), part of a midseason stretch where Carolina fed him 25 targets across five contests.

Other than a Week 2 flash (7/54 on nine targets) in 2025, Sanders was worthless to the fantasy market. He missed four games with an ankle injury and a broken leg. The Panthers gave him TE3 snaps (34.8%) across his 14 matchups (29/190/1 on 34 targets) while gaining 6.6 yards per catch.

Tommy Tremble→ his ranking

Across 19 games at Notre Dame, Tremble totaled 35 catches for 401 yards and four touchdowns, and he topped four receptions or 50 receiving yards in a single game just once during his entire college career.

Tremble made his name in the NFL as a blocker first, though his 6'3", 245-pound frame is a bit light for an every-down, lead tight end role. He's continued to develop as a receiver, but his opportunities at Notre Dame were limited by two talented tight ends ahead of him on the depth chart. At his pro day, he ran a 4.59 in the 40 and showed solid quickness in short areas, but there were some questions about his hands when working through contested catches.

His rookie year produced 20 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets, followed by 19 receptions for 174 yards and three scores on 32 targets in year two. In 2023, Carolina handed him the bulk of the tight end snaps (52.8%), but his production barely moved (23/194/3 on 32 targets).

Tremble was trending toward a career year in 2024 before five missed games got in the way. He finished with nearly identical numbers to his prior seasons (23/234/2 on 32 targets), with only two games offering real fantasy value (5/77 and 2/30/1).

In his fifth season with the Panthers, Tremble set career highs in catches (27), receiving yards (249), and targets (37). He scored over 10.00 PPR fantasy points in two matchups (5/42/1 and 3/38/1).

Ryan Fitzgerald

Over five seasons at Florida State, Fitzgerald made 178 of his 182 extra point tries with only one miss over his last 129 chances. He went 58-for-74 (78.4%) in field goal opportunities while showing more success in 2023 and 2024 (32-for-34). He made a 59-yard field goal in 2024.

In his first year in the NFL, Fitzgerald made 24 of his 29 field goals (82.8%), with three of his missed coming from 50 yards or more (2-for-5). Three of his 30 extra points failed to go through the uprights.