Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wouldn't say whether or not second-round rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will be ready for the start of training camp next month. The Texas product is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered on November 11 against TCU last year. Although Canales did not provide an update, he did say the team would ease him into action when he's ready to go. While Brooks should eventually be the clear lead ball carrier in Carolina, he might be on a snap count early in his career. On top of that, the Panthers offense is likely to be one of the worst units in the NFL once again. Brooks is one of the tougher players to evaluate in fantasy football, but he should be able to produce at least low-end RB2 numbers in the second half of his rookie campaign. His upside could be capped if quarterback Bryce Young and his supporting cast don't take a significant step forward in 2024.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) is dealing with a minor hamstring injury and has been limited this offseason, but head coach Dave Canales said he expects the rookie first-rounder to be a full participant in training camp. Legette, who was selected with the No. 32 overall pick in April's draft, will compete with Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Jonathan Mingo for snaps and targets in Year 1. Carolina's offense is one of the tougher units to evaluate for fantasy football, as everything depends on the growth of sophomore quarterback Bryce Young. Legette posted fewer than 500 total yards in his first four seasons at South Carolina but broke out in 2023 with a 71-catch, 1,255-yard, seven-touchdown campaign. For now, he should be viewed as nothing more than a late-round flier in most formats.

Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (heel) did not practice on Tuesday due to a heel injury. The 27-year-old had a flare-up and is being held out as a precaution, according to head coach Dave Canales. While he's expected to be fine, missing practice time is not ideal after the team selected Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Sanders is coming off his worst season as a pro. He accounted for just 432 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging an abysmal 3.3 yards per carry. Chuba Hubbard outperformed him last year, and Brooks is likely to be heavily involved in the Carolina rushing attack when he's fully healthy. It would be a surprise if Sanders becomes anything close to a weekly contributor to fantasy squads this season.

Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) is still dealing with a hamstring issue that popped up last week as the voluntary organized team activities continue this week. The 23-year-old pass-catcher is dealing with a little tightness in his hamstring. The issue doesn't appear to be very serious, but the Panthers are taking it easy on their first draft pick from this year. Even though Legette's injury isn't serious, he's missing more valuable reps at OTAs as he learns a new offense and tries to gain chemistry with second-year quarterback Bryce Young. As long as Legette is ready to go for the start of training camp at the end of July, it shouldn't affect his fantasy draft stock much in 2024. The 32nd overall pick in April out of South Carolina will have an uphill battle for weekly fantasy relevance in his rookie campaign with both Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen stealing precious targets from him in an offense that looked terrible in 2023.

Carolina Panthers first-round rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) tweaked his hamstring during organized team activities on Tuesday and is erring on the side of caution and sitting out of practice on Wednesday. It's not a major injury for the 32nd overall pick last month, but he's going to miss some valuable repetitions as he heads into his first NFL season. The 23-year-old should be good for mandatory minicamp in June and training camp at the end of July, and despite other additions to the position in the offseason, Legette should have an opportunity for a big role in his first NFL season as the Panthers look to improve drastically on offense from a year ago. However, with veteran Adam Thielen and newcomer Diontae Johnson likely ahead of him in the target pecking order, fantasy managers should prepare for Legette to be inconsistent in 2024 as a deep threat.