Carolina Panthers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Panthers HC Frank Reich named QB Bryce Young his starter on Wednesday. We appreciate Reich saving us from having to read about a faux QB competition between Young and Andy Dalton for the next month. A two-year starter at Alabama, Young looks like a relatively pro-ready rookie QB. There are lots of questions in his WR corps. But Young's sneaky rushing upside could give him some QB1 spot-start appeal throughout this season.

It's not hard to figure out why new Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo made it into Round 2 of the NFL Draft. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch for his SEC career, including 16.9 his final season at Ole Miss. Then he ran a 4.46-second 40 time at the Scouting Combine and notched 89th-percentile measurements in the broad and vertical jumps -- at nearly 6'2 and 220 pounds. So what's not to like? Mingo caught just 39 passes across his first two college seasons. He seemed on his way to a breakthrough junior year before a foot fracture disrupted things. And even in his best (fourth) season, Mingo still trailed teammate Malik Heath in receptions and yards. That makes it tough to expect Mingo to immediately lead an NFL WR corps in production. The rookie sits just ahead of Adam Thielen to lead Panthers WRs in Underdog ADP. But you won't find him nearly so high in our WR rankings. Carolina doesn't sport an impressive group at the position, but be careful about overrating the rookie on that factor.

Fantasy managers shouldn't overlook Steelers WR Diontae Johnson this season. As bad as it was that he scored zero receiving TDs in 2022, Johnson led the Steelers in targets (147), target share (26.8%), and receptions (85). Unfortunately, that only translated to Johnson finishing as the WR42 in PPR points per game (10.63). Those aren't the results you want to see from a team's WR1. Even so, his zero TD season was somewhat historic. Among NFL WRs in the Super Bowl era who caught zero receiving TDs in a season, Johnson’s 2022 campaign ranks first in PPR points (180.7) and targets, third in receiving yards (882), and sixth in PPR points per game. Not so bad, all things considered. Assuming he even catches a small handful of TDs, Johnson stands to improve in 2023. He's likely to maintain his status as the lead pass-catcher in the Steelers' offense and should be considered a strong flex option for fantasy managers. See where Johnson appears in our latest WR rankings.

New Panthers RB Miles Sanders is clearly in line to lead the team's rushing after signing the biggest free-agent contract for any RB that switched teams this offseason. HC Frank Reich called him "a three-down back" in June, according to AP. And Sanders said he's excited to reunite with RBs coach Duce Staley, who "knows what I can really do." He certainly seems to be expecting more receiving work. But Sanders' past three years have been pretty terrible in that area. He went from 3.1 receptions per game as a rookie to 2.3, 2.2, and 1.2. And his 10.2 yards per catch fell to 7.0, 6.1, and 3.9. Sanders has also seen his Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade decline each year. RB Chuba Hubbard doesn't look like a great bet to steal a big role after seeing his work decline in Year 2. RB Raheem Blackshear, however, caught 123 passes at 9.9 yards per catch over a 5-year college career that spanned two stops. There's also room for the Panthers to import a veteran such as Kareem Hunt. Sanders carries some upside from his mid-RB2 position in our fantasy football rankings. Just make sure you don't overrate him simply because you can't see who else in the Carolina backfield would claim significant opportunity share.

New Panthers WR Adam Thielen told the team website that he's been "so impressed" with teammate WR Terrace Marshall Jr. both on and off the field. "He's been so great in the meeting room, and then being on the field with him, there's a lot of potential there," Thielen said. New HC Frank Reich added that Marshall showed improvement late last season, the WR's second in the pros: "I think it's just a matter of him getting more play time and making those plays consistently. I think we saw that last year with the reps that he got, the catches that he had, the big plays that he had, that he shows the capacity to kind of be a big play guy." Marshall will have to compete for those reps with imports Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Jonathan Mingo this summer. The good news for his fantasy outlook is that Marshall's disappointing first two seasons has him lingering on the board until the very end of best ball drafts. He's far from a must-add, but there's no real risk to taking some shots on Marshall in that range. See where he and all the new Panthers teammates sit in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.

Panthers No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has been widely lauded for his passing accuracy. But sneaky rushing upside could be key to his fantasy value. If you remove yardage lost on sacks -- which NCAA stats subtract from QB rushing -- Young averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2021 and then 9.1 per rush last season. He totaled 284 yards and then 313 yards in scrambles in his two starting turns at Alabama, according to Pro Football Focus. Young followed that with a 4.58-second 40 time at his pro day. That would rank 90th-percentile among QB results at the Scouting Combine. Young will likely need to scramble at least a bit more in the NFL than he did at Alabama. He averaged just 2.56 attempts per game there over the past two years. Even the largely immobile crew of Colts QBs -- led by Matt Ryan -- on Frank Reich's last Colts team averaged 2.78 per game. The 280+ yards that Young delivered on scrambles the past two years would have ranked seventh among QBs in rushing yards in the NFL last season. That level of rushing production would boost his fantasy floor and ceiling. Read more about Young's fantasy outlook and see where he sits in our 2023 superflex rankings. The rookie could turn into a value pick in that format.

The Athletic's Joe Person highlighted WRs Terrace Marshall and Jonathan Mingo in the "Stock Up" section of a recent article. The Panthers re-made their WR corps this offseason under new HC Frank Reich, trading away D.J. Moore and adding Mingo, Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark to Marshall and Laviska Shenault. It seems like playing time is up for grabs heading to training camp later this month. We'll keep you updated on the situation.

Panthers QB Andy Dalton believes he’s still a top-32 QB in the NFL. “I view myself as a starter in this league; I don’t think there are 32 guys better than me,” Dalton told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “But this is the situation I am in, and I understand that. As soon as I don’t think I’m one of the best 32, or a little lower, I’ll be watching football on TV.” Barring a summer face plant from Bryce Young, Dalton will enter September in a backup role.

Panthers RB Miles Sanders is in a strong situation to provide fantasy value this year. The Panthers gave Sanders the biggest RB contract in free agency by total money ($25 million), guaranteed money ($13 million), and average annual salary ($6.25 million). HC Frank Reich and company want Sanders to be their feature back, and they place a lot of faith in his abilities to shoulder large responsibilities. “Miles is a three-down back, and he can do a little bit of everything," said Reich during OTAs. "He’s explosive, he’s fast, and he has good vision and patience. Really smart. And on third down, when he has to block, he’s a willing blocker.” There isn't a ton of competition behind Sanders, either. Chuba Hubbard logged just 6.3 carries and 0.9 targets per game in 2022 following the Christian McCaffrey trade, and Raheem Blackshear and Spencer Brown combined for 44 touches in last year’s Panthers backfield. We project a major workload for Sanders in 2023, though his ceiling will depend on how many scoring opportunities the Panthers' offense will have with a rookie QB at the helm. See where we have him slated in our current RB rankings.

Eagles RB Rashaad Penny (leg) is participating in this week's OTAs. His 2022 season ended with a fractured fibula in October, but he was medically cleared in March. Being able to get on the field for these OTAs is good news for Penny as he settles into a new offense. How snaps and touches will be divvied between Penny, D'Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott this season will be one of the more intriguing fantasy storylines to track this summer.

Speaking at OTAs, Panthers HC Frank Reich gave his thoughts on 3rd-year WR Terrace Marshall. “We saw that last year with the reps that he got, the catches that he had, the big plays that he had. He shows that capacity to be a big-play guy,” Reich said. “The next step with every player is just more reps, more plays, more confidence where it’s like, ‘Hey, give me the ball.’” Marshall spent part of the offseason working with Mo Wells, a former LSU sprinter who also trains Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. The goal was to build muscle with the hopes of avoiding injuries that’ve slowed his development. Still only 23, Marshall isn’t a name to forget in dynasty leagues. But it’s clear the Panthers’ new staff isn’t expecting much after adding Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Round 2 WR Jonathan Mingo.

Panthers QB coach Josh McCown dismissed any concerns regarding QB Bryce Young’s size. “When you turn on the tape, you don’t feel that,” McCown said. “You never felt it. You look at all the studies and the balls being thrown over the middle, especially — that’s where you get into some issues (typically) — and his (completion) percentages are as high or higher than others in taller quarterbacks when we make several different comparisons with different players. So, at the end of the day, that really never entered into the evaluation as a critical factor, because it didn’t show up on the tape.” The Panthers are making Young earn the starting job over veteran Andy Dalton, but he shouldn’t be much of a hurdle. We currently forecast 17 games for the No. 1 overall pick.

Panthers QB Bryce Young impressed his new HC on the first day of rookie minicamp. “Honestly — I don’t want to overdo it on the first day — but he did every little thing right,” Frank Reich said. “The little throws out in the flat, the little bubble screen stuff, the ‘deep over’ (route) throw . . . just threw it with accuracy, saw it well, knew where guys were supposed to be — yeah, just showed complete command.” The Panthers not surprisingly aren't locking Young in as their Week 1 starter, but the rookie is the favorite to beat out Andy Dalton for that title.

The Panthers selected Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mingo is a bet-on-traits prospect. He spent four years at Ole Miss but never led the team in receiving yards and totaled only 12 TDs. His career 25.6% Dominator Rating (share of team receiving yards and receiving TDs) lands in the 40th percentile. But Mingo goes 6’2, 220 pounds with a 4.46-second 40 time and a 39.5-inch vertical. His Combine performance earned him a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. That size and athleticism pops on tape. Mingo is a smooth mover who can win deep and after the catch. He was one of 12 WRs in the nation to earn a 99.9 Pro Football Focus grade on deep targets last year – AND averaged a big 7.3 yards after the catch per reception. Mingo lands on a Panthers squad without any long-term, impact WRs. Playing alongside the highly-accurate Bryce Young only adds to Mingo’s dynasty appeal.

Carolina selected Alabama QB Bryce Young with the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Young’s size (5’10, 204 pounds) garnered most of the attention pre-draft. Just note that he missed only one game in two starting seasons. (Young suffered an A/C joint sprain in his right shoulder last October.) The former five-star recruit wins both inside the pocket and out with an uncanny ability to feel pressure and deliver an accurate ball. Across two starting seasons, Young racked up 8,200 yards, 79 TDs, and only 12 INTs. In Carolina, he’s the heavy favorite to start Week 1 over Andy Dalton. A WR corps of Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Terrace Marshall Jr. isn’t ideal for year one. But we’re optimistic about the QB’s long-term prospects.

The Panthers and WR Adam Thielen have reportedly agreed to a three-year deal. The terms of the contract are unknown as of this writing. After nine years in Minnesota, the long-time Viking and former UDFA will have an opportunity to get his career back on track. Thielen recorded four seasons of 900+ receiving yards between 2016 and 2020 en route to a pair of Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro second-team nomination in 2017. This past season saw his lowest productivity in PPR fantasy points per game (10.6) and target share (17.2%) since 2016, and the Vikings' midseason acquisition of TE T.J. Hockenson caused Thielen to see an even steeper drop-off in usage in the latter half of 2022. With a slim WR corps, Thielen should be able to establish himself as a top option in the Panthers' passing attack. That said, it's tough to imagine a ton of fantasy upside from a player that turns 33 by the time the 2023 NFL season begins. This signing helps dynasty managers left holding the bag after the Vikings released Thielen earlier this month, but that's about it. Thielen's presence as a veteran option for whichever rookie QB the Panthers opt to select with the number one pick of the NFL Draft will be useful, though likely more important for real-life football than fantasy.

New Eagles RB Rashaad Penny told reporters that he's been medically cleared from the fractured fibula that ended his 2022 season in October. Injuries, of course, have been a major issue for Penny through 5 NFL seasons. He's missed 40 of 82 games. But he's also been awesome when healthy, averaging a huge 5.7 yards per carry. Penny is currently the favorite to assume the old Miles Sanders, early-down role in Philadelphia. Sanders finished 22nd among RBs in PPR points per game last year -- a level Penny is certainly capable of reaching in 2023.

According to multiple reports, RB Miles Sanders has agreed to a contract with the Panthers. This move makes a ton of sense for many reasons. New Panthers HC Frank Reich is likely to operate a similar offense to the one Sanders played in with the Eagles, given that their HC Nick Sirianni served as Reich's OC with the Colts from 2018 to 2020. Though Sanders set career-high marks in touches (279), rushing yards (1,269), and TDs (11) in 2022, he failed to play more than 40% of the Eagles' offensive snaps in every game after Week 16 through the Super Bowl. In an offense devoid of major talent, Sanders will have an opportunity to thrive in what should be a comparable scheme to the one in Philadelphia. Plus, without a major rushing threat at QB like Jalen Hurts as of now, we may see Sanders return to form as a pass-catcher. He totaled 78 receptions across his first pair of seasons in the NFL, but only 46 between 2021 and 2022. We're looking at a solid opportunity for a quality RB2-type season from Sanders if the Panthers don't add too much more around him.

UPDATE: Sanders' contract is reportedly a four-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Certainly no small investment here.

The Panthers have reportedly agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with QB Andy Dalton. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the deal includes $8 million in guaranteed money and that the contract could be worth up to $17 million in total. This deal makes a lot of sense for the Panthers as they're likely to take a young QB with the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft next month. Having an experienced player like Dalton there to serve as a mentor and aid in the development of whoever the franchise ultimately chooses to draft is a wise choice. Should HC Frank Reich choose to take his time with whichever rookie QB the team opts for, Dalton could feasibly be a decent bridge option for a few games as well. Dalton totaled 2,871 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 14 starts with the Saints in 2022. If nothing else, this means dynasty managers can justify holding onto their shares of Dalton.

The Eagles and RB Rashaad Penny have agreed to a one-year deal, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The former NFL first-round pick has struggled to stay healthy in his career, though he's shown the ability to be an effective fantasy RB when healthy. Penny has averaged over six yards per carry on 176 carries in 15 games over the last two seasons. Prior to succumbing to a fractured tibia in Week 5, Penny was the RB24 overall in PPR scoring with an 11.7 PPG average through the first month of the 2022 season. Should he stay healthy, Penny has an opportunity to thrive behind an Eagles offensive line that ranked 6th in Football Outsiders' adjusted line yards in 2022. That said, the presence of QB Jalen Hurts does cap the upside of any RB in the Eagles' offense, particularly in the red zone. There's reason to like Penny as a dead zone RB in redraft this season. Moreover, if the Eagles don't address the RB room beyond this signing, RB Kenneth Gainwell becomes an incredibly appealing fantasy option as a bench stash. Gainwell, a former 4th-round pick in 2021, performed well down the stretch for the Eagles and would stand to inherit some hefty work should the oft-injured Penny find himself ailing again in 2023. This backfield will be scary if all goes well assuming health.