You'd be forgiven if you didn't even realize that the Panthers have been playing TEs each year. The team hasn't ranked higher than 27th in total tight end PPR points since 2019. That was Greg Olsen's last year with the team; he finished 13th among TEs in total PPR points and 17th in points per game. So will any Carolina TE reach fantasy relevance this year? If so, The Athletic's Joe Person thinks Mitchell Evans has the best chance.
What They're Saying: Don't Sleep on Evans
Person, via The Athletic Football Show: "You talk about Jonathon Brooks, and I'll throw another name in. I think second-year tight end Mitchell Evans is going to be more involved this year too. ... As you're looking at that tight end group, they're waiting for somebody to separate among that group. I think he probably has the best chance just because I think he has the best diversified skill set. He's a real wide tight end. You're going to be playing in as many three receiver sets as they are, and I think they will."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Carolina Needs to Prove There's Value Here
Last year's Panthers had three TEs who collected 19-29 catches last season:
- Ja'Tavion Sanders 29
- Tommy Tremble 27
- Evans 19
Evans -- a fifth-round pick in 2025 -- also ranked third among that group in routes, despite playing six more games than Sanders (including the playoffs).
We'll have to see whether Evans is playing ahead of the other two before considering the target-share upside. But if he can land the top TE spot and the team commonly runs "11" personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs), there could be room for deep-league relevance.
Tetairoa McMillan should be the clear lead WR, with Jalen Coker likely rising to the clear No. 2 spot behind him. We don't particularly believe in WR Xavier Legette earning a bunch of targets behind them.
It'd still be tough to envision a top-20 fantasy season for Evans even in that scenario, but we'll keep an eye on the situation and adjust Carolina's TE target shares as needed.
