Team Profile
Carolina Panthers
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-11.6% 24thOff DVOA
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-4.8% 28thPassing DVOA
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-6.2% 15thRushing DVOA
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19.2% 32ndDef DVOA
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24.5% 31stDef Passing DVOA
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14.1% 32ndDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For20.5 22nd
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Points Against30.2 32nd
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Yards Per Game298.0 29th
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Yards Allowed Per Game405.0 32nd
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard carried the ball 10 times for 64 yards in the team's 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Hubbard also caught four of his five targets for an additional 12 yards through the air. Hubbard was the lone bright spot in Carolina's offense on Sunday, putting together a solid fantasy outing despite the negative game script in another lopsided loss. He also out carried running back Miles Sanders 10 to seven, confirming that he will continue to see most of the work between the two moving forward. While practically every member of the Panthers offense can be benched in lineups moving forward, Hubbard looks to be the exception. Fantasy managers can include him as an RB2/3 option in Week 3 when the Panthers face the Las Vegas Raiders.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. is a healthy scratch ahead of Sunday's game against the Houston Texans. There was a chance Jones' services would be needed for this one. However, while Keenan Allen (heel) won't play, the team at least has Rome Odunze (knee) active for Week 2. Either way, Jones likely wouldn't have seen much attention from fantasy managers. Tight end Cole Kmet will probably benefit the most with Allen being inactive on Sunday night, with Tyler Scott and DeAndre Carter battling for WR3 duties behind DJ Moore and Odunze.
Carolina Panthers running back Raheem Blackshear (personal) and tight end Tommy Tremble (hamstring, back) are both active for Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. They had been listed as questionable entering the weekend. Blackshear was absent from practice this week for personal matters, but it appears he's good to go for Sunday's home game. Although he remains a depth option in Carolina's backfield, he offers plenty of value on special teams as the Panthers' primary kick returner. With the Panthers susceptible to surrendering plenty of scores, Blackshear could be busy returning kickoffs this season. He's only a worthwhile fantasy option in leagues that award points for return yards. Meanwhile, Tremble is suiting up after being limited on Friday. He was inactive in Week 1 and figures to poach snaps from rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders. Even without a clear top tight end in Carolina, there's no real path to fantasy relevance for Tremble.
Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders was the leading rusher for this offense during the Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Being the leading rusher sounds nice, but Sanders only finished with 22 yards on five carries. He served as the second string back to Chuba Hubbard, but neither back got anything going last week. To be fair, it was a blowout and the Panthers needed to abandon the passing game in the second half of the contest. Regardless, neither player has a good outlook heading into the Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Chargers. It looks like both backs are going to split the workload, which is bad news for values as a whole. Sanders could be a deep or dynasty stash, but he isn't worth rostering in most fantasy formats.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen caught three of his four targets for 49 yards in the team's Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Although he did lead the team in yards, his target share wasn't encouraging, falling behind WRs Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, and Jonathan Mingo in total targets. Now the Panthers gear up for a matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that allowed WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers to go for less than 65 yards each in Week 1. Thielen's low usage and Carolina's ineffective passing attack should make fantasy managers avoid him in Sunday's matchup.