Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (knee) suffered a knee injury at training camp on Thursday. Head coach Dave Canales said the team had "big concerns (initially) but initial testing looks good." We'll have more information on Hubbard's injury once we know more, but it looks like he's avoided a serious injury that could keep him out for the start of the 2024 season. However, it's likely that the 25-year-old will miss some practice time and probably won't suit up for the second preseason contest this Saturday against the New York Jets. Currently at the top of Carolina's RB depth chart, any time missed by Hubbard will give rookie Jonathon Brooks and Miles Sanders more reps in camp. Brooks is the favorite to lead Carolina's offense production-wise by the end of the year, but Hubbard is also worth a late-round flier as a handcuff and bench stash in deeper leagues.

Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette (foot) returned to training camp practice on Monday after missing several days with a foot injury. In addition to missing some valuable practice time at the end of last week, Legette was also forced to sit out of the preseason opener last Thursday against the New England Patriots. It remains to be seen if the 23-year-old will play in the second preseason contest this Saturday against the New York Jets. The good news is that he's now back on the field as he tries to get up to speed for his first NFL campaign in 2024. Carolina's offense should have nowhere to go but up after last year's struggles, but with the addition of Diontae Johnson and the presence of veteran Adam Thielen, Legette could have trouble being anything more than an occasional big-play threat for fantasy managers in his rookie season.

Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro appears to have won the starting kicker job heading into the regular season. The organization has waived undrafted free agent Harrison Mervis on Sunday. That leaves Pineiro as the only kicker on the roster, which means he should be the starter heading into the season. Last season, Pineiro connected on 25-of-29 field goal attempts while hitting 17-of-20 PATs in 15 games. He is in the final year of a two-year deal, so we'll see if he improves in 2024 and earns himself a new deal.

The Dallas Cowboys could have running backs Miles Sanders and Dalvin Cook on their short list of targets as the regular season gets closer, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The insiders note that the Cowboys are still evaluating their backfield, which is currently headlined by Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, and have started monitoring a few external options in case they feel the need to make an addition. Sanders is one of those players, and there's also a connection with Cook, who previously expressed interest in playing for the Cowboys. The latter is currently a more feasible option than the former given that Sanders is still under contract with the Panthers, but there's been speculation that he could be on Carolina's roster bubble. If the Cowboys do make a move at running back, it would add another confusing element for fantasy managers to decipher. Elliott, Dowdle, and the addition would presumably all be thrust to the low-end RB3 range while we try to figure out each back's expected usage.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer completed 11 of his 21 passes for 86 yards in the team's loss to the New England Patriots. Plummer played the first three-quarters of the game and was eventually relieved by Jake Luton. The 24-year-old signed with the Panthers after going undrafted in this year's draft and looks to be locked into the QB3 position behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He remains off the fantasy radar for the upcoming season.