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Young has improved only slightly since a dreadful rookie season, finishing QB28 and QB26 in fantasy points per game over the past two years. We’re not betting on a big step forward in 2026.
Young offers no more than QB3 depth in superflex and best ball drafts.
Customize his projection for your exact league settings inside the Draft War Room.Young totaled 3,011 passing yards with 23 TDs and 11 INTs across 16 games last year, ranking 21st in yardage and tying for 14th in TDs.
He added a 54-216-2 rushing line to finish 26th among QBs in fantasy points per game.
Young spiked for three top-5 scoring weeks but cracked the top 12 just two other times. He finished outside the top 20 QBs in 10 of his 16 outings.
Young ranked 14th league-wide in pass attempts, including 12th in red-zone attempts and 10th in throws into the end zone.
But Young’s 6.9-yard average target depth ranked 36th among 41 qualifying QBs, and he finished just 19th in total air yards.
Young’s 54 carries were good for 14th at the position.
He ranked 24th in expected fantasy points per game.
Young completed a respectable 63.6% of his passes, but the low average target depth helped inflate that number. He ranked just 22nd among 42 qualifying QBs in completion rate over expected and 34th with 6.3 yards per attempt.
Young’s Pro Football Focus passing grade ranked 27th.
He at least posted a 4.8% TD rate, good for 17th among those 42 qualifiers.
The 2025 Panthers finished 27th in total yards and points. It was a run-leaning offense that leaned even further in that direction after the opening few games.
From Week 4 on, Carolina ranked:
Young averaged 14.4 fantasy points per game over that stretch, down from 16.0 over the first three weeks.
Young has struggled in three seasons since going No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft.
His rookie season was woeful: a 59.8% completion rate, 5.5 yards per attempt, 11 TDs vs. 10 INTs.
He’s improved to merely bad over the last two years, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt in each with 38 total TDs vs. 20 INTs. But even over that stretch, he ranks:
Young’s finishes in fantasy points per game:
Young suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 7 last year but missed just one game.
He also missed one game with a sprained ankle as a rookie in 2023.
Young returns as Carolina’s starter this season. The Panthers picked up his fifth-year option in April, keeping him under contract through 2027.
Carolina made a change behind Young, replacing Andy Dalton with Kenny Pickett.
The Panthers return last year’s top seven targets, led by WR Tetairoa McMillan. He’s coming off a 70-1,014-7 rookie season in which he ranked 23rd among 76 qualifying WRs in PFF receiving grade. McMillan already looks like a legitimate No. 1 WR and could be better in Year 2.
Carolina will hope to get a healthier season from WR Jalen Coker, who missed the first six games of last year. He averaged 47 yards over his final seven regular-season games, though, and then went off for a 9-134-1 line in the playoff loss to the Rams.
The Panthers added WR Chris Brazzell in Round 3 of this spring’s draft. The 6’4, 198-pounder was one of the top deep threats in the WR class, averaging 15.2 yards per catch in college. He’s probably not ready for a high-volume role but could prove to be an instant upgrade over WR Xavier Legette, who’s been a massive bust through two NFL seasons.
This WR corps looks like it’s ascending, but it’s still unlikely to be better than league average this year.
The TE room looks even less exciting: A hodgepodge of Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Mitchell Evans.
Carolina also has a big question mark at LT after Ikem Ekwonu ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee in the playoff loss to the Rams. He’s expected to be sidelined for 9-12 months, likely costing him some or most of the 2026 campaign.
The Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year, $4 million deal in free agency and spent the 19th pick of this spring’s draft on Monroe Freeling as potential fill-ins for Ekwonu. But Young’s blindside protection is a question.
Carolina also lost C Cade Mays to Detroit in free agency. He’s expected to be replaced by Luke Fortner, who has been subpar across four NFL seasons.
HC Dave Canales and OC Brad Idzik return for their third season running the Panthers offense. The results have been underwhelming so far:
Canales spent 2023 as the Buccaneers' OC. That team and the 2024 Panthers ran balanced offenses, ranking 15th and 11th, respectively, in pass rate.
Canales shifted run-heavy last year, with the Panthers finishing 23rd in pass rate. Unless Young improves significantly this season, expect a similar run-pass split.
A decent-enough WR corps and Young’s modest rushing production (career 15.6 yards per game) give him a path to a higher-end QB2 finish. He’ll simply need to play a lot better to get there.
We already saw Young get benched for a few games in 2024. If he doesn’t improve this year, he might not last the season as Carolina’s starter.
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Bryce Young Earns Camp Raves, But We're Still Skeptical
Bryce Young Earns Camp Raves, But We're Still Skeptical
The Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler believes that Panthers QB Bryce Young's play early in camp will "lead to a really good —and possibly great — season for him." Fowler said Young had the "best practice I’ve ever seen him have" on Wednesday. "It was impossible to look away as No. 9 made one dazzling throw after another, firing the ball into windows the size of portholes," Fowler added.
Chris Brazzell Likely to Miss Start of Season
Chris Brazzell Likely to Miss Start of Season
Panthers WR Chris Brazzell suffered a "moderate" LCL tear in his left knee Wednesday, according to multiple reports. He's expected to miss "up to eight weeks." Brazzell is headed for a second opinion. The third-round rookie had missed two practices earlier in the week because of soreness in the same knee.
Tetairoa McMillan Proves He Is Elite Against Buccaneers
Tetairoa McMillan Proves He Is Elite Against Buccaneers
WR Tetairoa McMillan went 6-73-1 on 10 targets against the Buccaneers. Jalen Coker was the next highest WR with 5 targets. McMillan matched up against CB Jamel Dean often who had been stout against outside WRs, but McMillan was able to win multiple times one-on-one. As the Panthers march toward the NFC South crown, McMillan has proved himself to be an elite option who can be relied upon for the fantasy championship (and next season).
Bryce Young Sets Carolina Franchise Passing Record In OT Win
Bryce Young Sets Carolina Franchise Passing Record In OT Win
The Atlanta Falcons entered Week 11 allowing the fewest passing yards in the league, but Carolina QB Bryce Young set a franchise record with 448 passing yards and threw 3 TDs to lead the Panthers to a 30-27 overtime win. Young overcame an early ankle injury to lead his team back from a 21-10 deficit to sweep the Falcons and hand Atlanta their fifth consecutive loss.
Bryce Young Hurts Ankle
Bryce Young Hurts Ankle
Panthers QB Bryce Young injured an ankle in the first quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Falcons and is officially questionable to return. He's been replaced by QB Andy Dalton. We'll update Young's status when we know more.
Update: Young returned in the second quarter.
See whether Bryce Young is available in your leagues.
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