Sanders set for major 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.