Cat Scratch Reader
How did the Panthers do in fantasy football? Will those trends continue?
The Carolina Panthers regressed on offense and defense, losing a game in which they were actually favored against the Dallas Cowboys. Let’s take a look back at how individual Panthers players fared and if they are worth keeping moving forward. For these articles, I will be using fantasy totals in an ESPN Fantasy league I am part of, so your numbers might have been slightly different.
Bryce Young
Bama Bryce was nowhere to be found after an opening drive fumble in the RedZone. It almost feels like a Jake Delhomme scenario: if he has a turnover early, the wheels fall off entirely. Despite a couple touchdowns, Bryce only managed 11.96 fantasy points thanks to his litany of turnovers. We'll see how he bounces back this week, but he's definitely not a fantasy option for the rest of the year.
Chuba only had 10 carries for 32 yards on the day. As the only healthy NFL caliber running back on the roster, there is no excuse for Chuba to not get at least 20-25 touches per game. Canales has to do a better job of sticking with the run game, especially considering he's the one touting a run first mentality on offense. Chuba will likely get better production in the upcoming weeks and should be relied on heavily. Should.
Last week, the rookie had some growing pains with drops. This week it was literal pains as Legette was in and out of the game with various bumps and bruises. Not being on the field led to just three targets, but he did catch two of those for only seven yards. If he's healthy (and Good Bryce shows up), he could be in line for more targets. Still, I think he's been surpassed by another Panthers rookie receiver as a fantasy option.
Jalen Coker
Well, the quad appears to be okay. Coker caught four of his six targets for 110 yards and a long touchdown, on which he recorded the fifth highest speed of any ball carrier in the NFL last week. Sure, most of his 21 fantasy points came on one play, but he showed the ability to make the most of his opportunities even when the quarterback is struggling. If you have Legette and not Coker, switch those two for the rest of the year.
Mr Reliable was once again reliable, catching five of seven targets for just over 50 yards. When Good Bryce shows up, Thielen has big games. When Bad Bryce shows up, Thielen still has solid games. That's the benefit of being the security blanket for a young QB (no pun intended). Thielen is definitely worth a flex spot and possibly even a WR2 because of his decent floor.
