Carolina Panthers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Asked this week about the Panthers' RB depth chart, new OC Brad Idzik didn't name a starter. "I think that kinda sorts itself out ... and you let them compete right up until Game 1," he said. Idzik added that "we have a lot of good runners" -- so it's possible he's been accidentally watching 2023 film of the wrong team. Carolina, of course, watched Chuba Hubbard and his 3.8 yards per carry (plus 6.0 per catch) seize the backfield lead from Miles Sanders. That came after Sanders signed one of the market's biggest RB free-agent deals last offseason. Don't be surprised if the Panthers add a RB in the draft or another source. As it stands, Hubbard has to be the favorite for work over Sanders. But the latter has enjoyed the more productive career to date. Heading into just his age-27 season, Sanders is capable of rebounding at least ahead of Hubbard. Neither should excite you for fantasy right now. Best ball ADP positions Sanders (RB59, Round 17) as the better value than Hubbard (RB39, Round 11).

The Panthers acquired WR Diontae Johnson and a seventh-round pick from the Steelers in exchange for CB Donte Jackson and a sixth-rounder, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It's a relatively cheap price to pay for a guy with 332 catches over the past four seasons. Johnson's production has largely been volume-based, though. His 6.7 yards per target over those last four years ranks 67th among 71 WRs with 200+ total targets during that stretch. Johnson didn't rank better 23rd in yards per route in any of those seasons. That said, he immediately becomes the Panthers' clear No. 1 WR. And Carolina figures to throw it a bunch more than the Arthur Smith-led Steelers. QB play is a concern, of course, after Bryce Young's ugly rookie season. But the move is still a win for Johnson's 2024 fantasy value. In Pittsburgh, meanwhile, George Pickens will likely get a crack at No. 1 WR duties. The Steelers will certainly be adding to the WR corps this offseason, though. And Arthur Smith's run-heavy offense will keep Pickens' upside capped.

The Panthers are making a surprise choice in hiring former Buccaneers OC Dave Canales as HC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Canales arrives after spending just one year with the Bucs. But that season seems to have revived QB Baker Mayfield's career. Overall, the Bucs ranked just 20th in points, 23rd in total yards, tied for 19th in yards per play, and 20th in offensive DVOA. Before that, Canales spent 13 years coaching offense in Seattle, including three years as WRs coach, five as QBs coach, and two as passing-game coordinator. Canales drew praise for his role in QB Geno Smith's 2022 breakout. His work with Smith and Mayfield almost certainly excited the Panthers, who likely envision Canales as the guy to help QB Bryce Young rebound from a troubling rookie season. Of course, Canales goes from QBs coach for Smith and OC for Mayfield to HC in Carolina. So be careful about assuming too much from his influence. We'll see who Canales brings in to fill out his coaching staff and what the Panthers can add to an offense that sported unimpressive talent in 2023 (and doesn't have a 2024 first-round pick). This seems like a positive move for Young's dynasty outlook, but temper your excitement.

The Panthers fired GM Scott Fitterer on Monday. It’s not much of a surprise. Owner David Tepper fired HC Frank Reich after a 1-10 start, and the team proceeded to win only one more game. Overall, Carolina went 14-37 across three seasons with Fitterer as GM. A lack of progress from Bryce Young will make this job challenging for any incoming GM. Of course, the Panthers will also be without a Round 1 pick this year after trading up for Young. We’ll monitor potential HC/GM candidates in the coming weeks.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson hauled in 4 of 5 targets for 81 receiving yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. Ravens. The veteran ends this season with a career-low in receptions (51) and the second-fewest receiving yards (717) he’s logged to date, though a good deal of this can be attributed to the four games missed due to a hamstring injury. Johnson will play next season at 28 years old in the final year of his contract. Unless the Steelers make a change at QB this offseason, there’s no reason to value Johnson any higher than as a WR3 in dynasty formats.

Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo has been placed on IR with a foot injury. We'll look for more details on the injury and whether it'll impact Mingo's offseason. But his rookie campaign was alarmingly bad. Mingo caught just 50.6% of his targets and averaged 9.7 yards per catch. He ranks 88th among 88 qualifying WRs in yards per target and 84th in yards per route. Mingo will be no more than a late-round flier in 2024 redrafts and is closer to a sell-low than a buy in dynasty.

Coming off a season-high 312 passing yards on a season-high 8.7 yards per attempt in Week 16, Panthers QB Bryce Young crashed back to earth in the Week 17 shutout loss to the Jaguars. He completed 19 of 32 passes (59%) for 112 yards (3.5 YPA), 0 TDs, and one INT. That against a Jacksonville defense that entered the week 29th in passing yards allowed. It was Young's 10th game of the season with fewer than 200 passing yards; his ninth under 6.0 yards per pass attempt; and his seventh without a passing TD. It's been a worrisome rookie season for the first overall pick. He's had little help from his coaching staff, offensive line, or pass catchers. But he's also done very little to elevate the offense. Young will be buried in the 2024 redraft QB rankings. And he's closer to a sell-low than a buy in dynasty.

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard racked up 22 carries for 87 yards in the Week 15 win over the Falcons. That gives him a whopping 70 carries over the last three games, which Hubbard has parlayed into 278 yards and two TDs. Carolina has leaned heavily on the run under interim HC Chris Tabor -- and Hubbard has been the beneficiary. He's totaled just four catches on four targets over these last three games, which dings his value in full PPR leagues especially. But Hubbard is at least useable as a RB3 against the Packers' 21st-ranked RB defense. Week 17 brings a tougher spot vs. the Jaguars.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (knee) is not listed on the final Week 15 injury report. He returned to a full practice on Thursday after being sidelined on Wednesday and should be ready for his usual role vs. the Colts on Saturday.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson was added to the injury report with a knee and did not practice on Wednesday. His availability for Saturday's game vs. the Colts is suddenly in question. We'll look for more details on Johnson's knee issue and see how he's listed on the final injury report tomorrow.

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard carried 23 times in Sunday’s blowout loss to New Orleans. Carolina ran 79 plays, which helped Hubbard generate such a hefty workload. Once again, he played well ahead of Miles Sanders, who mixed in with 10 carries. A still-poor Carolina offense limited Hubbard to 3.8 YPC and stopped a 2-game scoring streak. Volume will keep him in the RB2/FLEX mix for the final few weeks.

Panthers S Vonn Bell (shoulder) is off the final injury report for Sunday's game against the Saints. That means he's ready to return after missing Week 13 and leaving the previous game early. Bell has managed just two full games among his past seven thanks to a pair of injuries. You can find him at the bottom of DB3 territory in our Week 14 rankings, though.

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard dominated backfield work in Week 13 vs. the Buccaneers, tallying 25 carries for 104 yards and 2 TDs. Miles Sanders registered just 8 carries for 23 yards on 31.9% of Carolina’s offensive snaps. Sanders had seen at least 50% of the RB carries the previous two weeks, but that shifted dramatically in the first game after Carolina fired HC Frank Reich and RBs coach Duce Staley, among others. Reich and Staley were outspoken supporters of Sanders after the Panthers signed him in free agency, but Hubbard has outperformed the import all season. Carolina's remaining schedule ranks sixth-toughest for RBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed, which hurts. But Hubbard will be worth RB2 consideration if he continues to control the backfield the way he did against the Bucs. Sanders can be dropped in most fantasy leagues, if you see something more interesting on the waiver wire.

Panthers CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring is active for today's game against the Buccaneers. We're betting he'll be in the lineup, but it's tough to know how much playing time he'll be ready for. Horn hasn't played since Week 1. He's a risky option for IDP lineups.

Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo (Achilles) is not listed on the final Week 13 injury report. He was limited in Thursday’s practice but a full-go on Friday. He’ll play vs. the Bucs this weekend but would be a desperation fantasy start. The rookie has yet to top 10.2 PPR points in a game this season.

Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo was added to Thursday's injury report with an Achilles and limited in practice. Mid-week additions are always worrisome. Achilles injuries are always worrisome. We'll look for further updates on Mingo's situation.

The Panthers fired HC Frank Reich. He didn't even make it a full season in Carolina, going 1-10 in his 11 games. An offensive-minded coach, Reich's Panthers offense sits 30th in yards per game, 29th in points per game, and 31st in offensive DVOA. A poor group of skill-position players didn't help the cause, but Reich did very little to elevate the offense or rookie QB Bryce Young. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will finish out the season as interim HC, while OC Thomas Brown takes back over as play-caller. We'll see if the moves lead to any changes in player usage, but don't expect the offense to be noticeably better.

Panthers WR Adam Thielen caught only 1 of 3 targets for 2 yards in Sunday's loss to the Titans. Tennessee refused to let Thielen beat them, which easily resulted in his worst game as a Panther. Bryce Young fired off 31 passes, so Thielen's target share of 9.6% fell well shy of his average (27.9%). Week 13 turns up a bounce-back spot at Tampa Bay. But that’s the last favorable spot on his schedule until Week 17 at Jacksonville.

The Panthers' backfield returned to a proper committee in Week 11 vs. the Cowboys. RB Miles Sanders handled a team-leading 11 carries for 50 rushing yards on a 45.7% snap share, all highs since Week 4 vs. the Vikings. His teammate Chuba Hubbard stayed active in the contest, tallying 65 total yards on 12 touches, but saw his lowest share of the RB carries (52.3%) over his last four games. Perhaps this is the beginning of Sanders returning to good health after being marred by groin and shoulder injuries to open 2023. Hubbard's rise in the first place can be primarily attributed to simply being the healthier of the two for a while, so it'll be worth monitoring this usage next week vs. the Titans. For now, fantasy managers should see if Sanders was dropped to the waiver wire. He might be worth scooping.

Panthers WR Adam Thielen hauled in 8 of 11 targets for 87 receiving yards in Week 11’s loss vs. the Cowboys. The veteran embodied one of the few aspects of Carolina’s offense that worked in the 33-10 blowout and accounted for 33.1% of the Panthers’ total offensive yards in the contest. This performance just goes to show fantasy managers that Thielen should remain in lineups even though his real-life team is struggling. With his pair of “dud” games in Week 9-10 behind him, it’s important to remember that Thielen has recorded at least 7 catches and 50 receiving yards in seven of 10 games played in 2023. Don’t be afraid to fire him up again in Week 12 vs. the Titans.