Panthers Fantasy Football Preview: Bryce Young, Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks, Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette and More

Let’s tackle another NFL team fantasy football preview.

We’ve looked at the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans and now will go over the Carolina Panthers.

Check back soon for more team previews. Of course, things will change between now and the start of the season, and FantasySP will cover any major changes when those happen.

Get ready for draft season! Practice Mock Drafts, check out ADPs and get advice for trades with our trade analyzer.

Bryce Young Fantasy Outlook

After a mostly rough rookie season, Bryce Young is looking for a more positive season in year two in the NFL.

In 16 starts for the Panthers last season, the team went 2-14. He completed 315 of his 527 passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Young added 253 yards, but no scores, on the ground across 39 attempts.

There wasn’t much talent around Young in year one, but the team did a nice job to add some offensive weapons going into the QB’s second season. He should be in store for a better season, but fantasy owners want to see it before they can believe it.

Young is currently being drafted as QB26 in fantasy drafts, going around pick 192. That leaves him off the radar in most standard leagues, but of course he’s an option in deeper leagues, dynasties and two-QB formats.

I think Young will have a better sophomore season, but I also would want to see it before adding him in a standard league. He might become a streaming option, and if he plays well enough, could be a decent backup option for several weeks.

To start the season though, I’m only starting Young if I have no other options, and that’s likely in deeper leagues or two-QB formats. I expect improvement, but there needs to be a ton of improvement before I’d be convinced enough to start him.

Running Back Fantasy Outlooks

Chuba Hubbard should open the season as the team’s starting running back, but rookie Jonathon Brooks might take over the starting role by the end of the season. Miles Sanders is also still on the roster, but likely behind those two guys.

Hubbard appeared in 17 games and made 12 starts last season. He rushed for 902 yards and five touchdowns across 238 attempts. He added 233 receiving yards on 39 grabs and 44 targets.

Sanders played in 16 games and made five starts. He rushed 129 times for 432 yards and one touchdown. Sanders had 154 receiving yards and no scores on 27 catches and 41 targets.

Brooks was a second-round pick of Carolina in the draft, but he’ll likely miss a couple weeks as he recovers from knee surgery. He starred at Texas in his final collegiate season.

Despite likely missing a couple weeks, Brooks is still the top Panthers’ back taken in fantasy drafts. He’s RB27 and going around pick 83 right now. 

Hubbard is RB43 and going around pick 134. Sanders is RB75 and going around pick 262.

I too like Brooks for the upcoming season, but also think he’s going a touch too early. Sure, he might serve as RB1 when he’s healthy, but if he misses three or four weeks, I don’t think he’ll be able to jump right in and take on a workhorse role. And if your fantasy team doesn’t make the playoffs, you only get to utilize Brooks for a handful of weeks.

I’d be OK taking Brooks a round or so later than his current ADP. That could change if his status improves between now and the season.

On the opposite end of things, I think Hubbard is a bargain around pick 134. He’ll likely start a few weeks and then split touches for a few more. There’s also a chance the Panthers don’t overwork Brooks, and then Hubbard could be a starting option throughout the season.

I like Hubbard’s value near his ADP and am fine picking him if you are confident in your top drafted RB to get the job done. He’s a starting option early on and could become a draft steal if Brooks has his workload managed all season.

Sanders isn’t likely going to be played in many standard leagues this season, and likely won’t have much fantasy appeal in deeper leagues either. He should serve as RB2 for the first couple weeks at least. After that, he could be RB3 or released entirely. I’d avoid Sanders in drafts and view him as a streaming option only.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlooks

Adam Thielen is back for Carolina, but Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette are new names to the starting trio of wide receivers. Terrace Marshall Jr., Jonathan Mingo and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are the top backups right now.

Thielen started hot last season but fizzled down the stretch. In 17 games, he had 103 grabs on 137 targets for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He’s much better suited for a No. 2 or 3 role, which he is now in.

Legette was the last pick in the first round of the draft. He had one big college season for South Carolina to make his name known. 

Johnson was with Pittsburgh for the first five years of his NFL career. He played in 13 games last season, hauling in 51 of his 87 targets for 717 yards and five scores. 

Mingo was the team’s second-round pick in 2023. He played in 15 games last season, recording 418 yards on 43 grabs and 85 targets. He did not score.

Smith-Marsette likely will return punts to open the season. As a receiver, he had just 51 yards on eight grabs and 10 targets a season ago. He did rush for 74 yards and his only score on eight attempts.

Marshall appeared in nine games last season, making 19 grabs on 33 targets for 139 yards and no scores. He had 490 yards and a touchdown in 2022.

Johnson is the receiver that looks to have the highest ceiling in Carolina, and he’s going first in fantasy drafts. He is WR40 and going around pick 91. 

I like that spot for a team’s potential No. 1 wideout, and am all for taking Johnson there. There’s not a ton of risk, and he has a decent amount of upside if he can stay healthy.

Legette is WR58 and going around pick 145. Thielen is WR64 and going around pick 160.

That makes those two late options in standard leagues. I could understand taking a gamble on both. Legette is more of an unknown, but could surprise people. Thielen could thrive in a secondary role. I’m OK with taking either guy late in a standard league draft, or otherwise monitoring them closely for possible streaming options.

All the other receivers are off the fantasy radar in standard leagues, but I’d at least keep an closer eye on Mingo. He showed flashes last season and still could carve out a decent role. He and the other receivers are likely only starting options in deeper leagues and dynasties unless the top of the depth chart is banged up.

Tight End Fantasy Outlooks

Ian Thomas is the presumed starter in Carolina, but Tommy Tremble and fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders might also get involved this season.

Thomas played in 12 games a season ago, making five catches for 56 yards and a score on nine total targets. 

Tremble appeared in 16 games, hauling in 23 catches on 32 targets for 194 yards and three scores.

Sanders was a solid option in his two collegiate seasons for Texas. Being that Thomas and Tremble haven’t broken out, Sanders is an intriguing name to watch as the preseason and regular season roll along.

To start the season though, none of the team’s tight ends are on the fantasy radar in standard leagues. They also aren’t the greatest options in deeper leagues, but Sanders might be worth a pick in a deep league or dynasty just as a dart throw.

Monitor how the position plays during the season and act accordingly.