The Panthers officially named QB Baker Mayfield their starter. This was expected since Carolina swung a trade for Mayfield in early July. He started the preseason opener over QB Sam Darnold, going 4-of-7 for 45 yards on 1 series. Mayfield is just a lower-end QB2 for fantasy squads, but we expect him to be an upgrade over Darnold for RB Christian McCaffrey, WR D.J. Moore and the rest of the Panthers offense.

The Browns are trading QB Baker Mayfield to the Panthers for a conditional 5th-round pick in 2024, NFL Network reports. The 2 teams "split the financials to make it happen," according to Ian Rapoport, so Carolina is presumably picking up about half of Mayfield's nearly $19 million 2022 cap hit. Mayfield is coming off a disappointing, injury-riddled 2021 season but played well the previous year, finishing 10th among 32 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. In fact, Mayfield earned higher PFF passing grades in each of his first 3 NFL seasons than QB Sam Darnold has managed in any of his 4 NFL seasons. So Mayfield is a tangible upgrade for D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Terrace Marshall and Christian McCaffrey. Mayfield himself looks like just a middling QB2, although those weapons give him some weekly upside. Check out the updated projections for the Panthers offense.

Update: Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Mayfield agreed to shave about $3.5 million off his 2022 salary. The Browns will pay him $10.5 million this year; the Panthers around $5 million.

Panthers WR Robby Anderson missed most of OTAs and minicamp with a nagging hip injury. It’s been an eventful offseason for the former Jet, who contemplated retirement over the spring. If healthy, Anderson should slot into the #2 role and have little trouble beating a WR72 ADP (per FFPC best ball drafting). “I think in this offense, Robbie will have a ton of production,” HC Matt Rhule said. “I think last year was a confluence of many different events. And I think in this offense, the way we’re doing things, he’ll have a ton of production.”

Panthers WR Robby Anderson showed up for the start of mandatory minicamp on Monday. He made headlines when he posted (and then quickly deleted) a tweet on Saturday about considering retirement. But it looks like he's decided to play this season. Anderson is coming off a disappointing 2021 campaign but is underpriced at his current WR71 FFPC ADP. He sits 16 spots higher in our PPR WR Rankings.

Panthers WR Robby Anderson tweeted Saturday that he's “thinking bout retiring.” Well, that came out of left field. Anderson, 29, was the subject of offseason trade rumors. But we expected him to open the season as the WR2 behind DJ Moore. Carolina opens its mandatory minicamp on the 14th, so we’ll learn more then. Should Anderson actually retire, Terrace Marshall's stock would get a considerable boost.

UPDATE: Anderson deleted the tweet on Saturday afternoon.

Panthers WR Robby Anderson (quad) is active for today’s game vs. the Bucs. He didn’t practice all week, so it’s safe to assume that he’s not close to 100%.

Panthers WR Robby Anderson (quad) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Bucs. He didn’t practice all week, but HC Matt Rhule called him a game-time decision on Friday. Anderson isn’t a Week 18 fantasy option, but his absence would open up more targets for WR D.J. Moore.

Panthers WR Terrace Marshall (concussion) put in a full practice on Wednesday. That puts the rookie on track to return for this weekend's game vs. the Patriots. It'd be his 1st action since Week 6. Marshall averaged just 4 targets over 5 healthy games but could eventually garner a bigger role with WR Robby Anderson continuing to struggle.

Panthers WR Terrace Marshall (concussion) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Giants. The rookie hasn’t been a fantasy factor this season, averaging just 3.7 targets per game. But his absence could mean an extra target or 2 for WRs D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson.

Panthers QB Sam Darnold opened the final preseason game with 6 straight completions against the Steelers en route to a productive night. He finished 19 of 25 for 162 yards and 2 TDs. Darnold found Terrace Marshall and Robby Anderson for 2nd-quarter red-zone scores, while D.J. Moore led all Panthers with 6 catches and 48 yards on a team-high 6 targets. Carolina opens the season with a favorable schedule, including a home date with the Jets in Week 1 and a Week 3 visit to Houston. Keep Darnold in mind as a late-round fantasy football option -- especially if you wait on addressing QB in your draft. As for the WRs, Anderson and Moore operated as the clear leaders, playing 38 snaps apiece among Darnold's 41, according to Pro Football Focus. Marshall worked in for 23. TE Dan Arnold played 30 snaps, with TE Ian Thomas taking the field for 22.

The Panthers and WR Robby Anderson have agreed to a 2-year, $29.5 million contract extension. Anderson was set to hit free agency next offseason but is now signed in Carolina through the 2023 campaign. It's confirmation that he remains a big part of the Panthers' passing game after ranking 8th among WRs with 138 targets last year.

Panthers WR Robby Anderson is dealing with a hamstring "issue,” per beat writer Steve Reed. That news was passed down from HC Matt Rhule this morning. We’ll keep an eye out for an update on the severity and timetable for return. Anderson, 28, hasn’t missed a game since 2018.

Panthers HC Matt Rhule is “hoping” to “add some vertical element” to WR Robby Anderson’s game this season. That was Anderson’s forte across 4 years in New York, where his average depth of target ranged between 13.6 and 17.3 yards. Last year in Carolina, his tally stood at only 9.8 yards. “When you look at it, my game in New York was more down the field and vertical, but I didn’t have the intermediate opportunities,” Anderson said via the Charlotte Observer. “I think with Coach Rhule expressing that, and then you mix that with last year, I think that’s something to look forward to.” Anderson, coming off the board deep in WR3 territory, remains a value option in 2021 drafts.

The Panthers added LSU WR Terrace Marshall with the 59th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Marshall brings an elite combination of size and athleticism. He checked into his Pro Day at 6’3, 205 pounds and ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash with a 39-inch vertical. It earned him a 97th percentile Relative Athletic Score. He was stuck behind Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase for his first 2 seasons at LSU but did well to come away with a 46-671-13 line in 12 games as a sophomore in 2019. With Jefferson off to the NFL and Chase opting out this past year, Marshall emerged as the top dog, averaging 6.9 catches, 104 yards and 1.4 TDs per game. (He missed the Alabama game with an injury and opted out of the final 2.) He soaked up 27.6% of LSU’s catches, 33.3% of the receiving yards and 58.8% of the receiving scores in his 7 games. Marshall is a bit raw as a route runner and has some drop issues. But he plays as athletically as he tested, winning downfield and after the catch with speed and out-jumping DBs for 50/50 balls. Marshall also has extensive experience both outside and in the slot. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah reported last week that some concerns popped up for Marshall at the medical check in Indianapolis after he broke his left fibula as a high school senior and suffered a fractured left foot in 2019. There’s plenty of bust potential here. But Marshall has the upside to develop into 1 of the top WRs in this class. “He’s got a chance to be like a Brandon Marshall-type player,” a scout told The Athletic’s Bob McGinn. This is a sneaky good landing spot in Carolina. There’s a clear path for Marshall to be the #3 WR this year. And WR Robby Anderson will be a free agent next offseason.

The Jets traded QB Sam Darnold to the Panthers in exchange for a 2021 6th-round pick and 2nd and 4th-rounders next year. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport hears that Carolina was the "sole suitor" for Darnold -- hence the relatively cheap price tag. Darnold, of course, has been largely disappointing since going 3rd overall in 2018, completing 59.8% of his passes, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt and tossing 39 INTs vs. 45 TDs. He's gotten little help from his coaches or supporting cast. But Darnold has not fared well in Pro Football Focus' passing grades, ranking 30th, 27th and 35th over the past 3 seasons. He's a fine gamble for the Panthers to make, but Darnold certainly isn't a lock to emerge as the team's long-term starter. In fact, he'll need to beat out QB Teddy Bridgewater for the 2021 starting job -- although we do consider Darnold the favorite there. The Jets, meanwhile, are widely expected to take BYU QB Zach Wilson with the 2nd overall pick later this month.

Panthers WR D.J. Moore remains on the COVID list as of Friday afternoon and isn't expected to play vs. the Broncos on Sunday, ESPN's David Newton reports. Moore has averaged 7.4 targets per game this season, so his absence frees up a bunch of opportunity for WRs Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel.

In addition to WR D.J. Moore, the Panthers have placed WR Curtis Samuel on the COVID list. The timing almost certainly knocks him out for their Week 14 clash with Denver. Other players Carolina has placed on the COVID list include LB Shaq Thompson and DT Derrick Brown. We'll see if the team's outbreak impacts the 1 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff.

Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater (knee) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, putting him on track to return for this weekend's game against the Vikings. He'll be just a mid-range QB2 for that one. But, despite QB P.J. Walker's solid Week 11, Bridgewater should still be considered an upgrade for Carolina's offense.

Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater (knee) is active for today’s game against the Lions. QBs P.J. Walker and Will Grier are also both active, which might suggest some concern about Bridgewater’s ability to make it through the game. We’d avoid him in Week 11 fantasy lineups, but his availability is good news for WRs Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore.

Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater (knee) is now "unlikely" to play against the Lions on Sunday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It sounds like the start of the practice week hasn't gone too well for Teddy. We're expecting QB P.J. Walker to get the start for Carolina, although there was a report from ESPN that Walker and QB Will Grier could split snaps. It's a situation to avoid in Week 11 fantasy lineups. WRs Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel need to be downgraded.