Carolina Panthers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 after he missed practice on Friday with a quad injury. The good news for the Panthers is that they'll be getting veteran receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) back for the first time since Week 3. The 23-year-old Coker has seen his role grow in Carolina's offense since the team traded Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, but the volume still hasn't been enough to make him a realistic flex option in 12-team fantasy leagues. He did play 90 percent of the offensive snaps in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants in Germany and received a season-high eight targets, but it led to only three catches for 41 yards. With Coker out on Sunday against KC, expect David Moore to serve as Carolina's No. 3 behind Thielen and rookie Xavier Legette.

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) is officially active on Sunday to make his NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. The second-round pick out of Texas is finally fully recovered from a torn ACL he suffered last year in college and will now serve as the No. 2 behind starter Chuba Hubbard. While the 21-year-old won't be on a snap count in his first game in the NFL, he should be the clear backup on Sunday and moving forward, making him hard to trust for starting purposes in fantasy. The good news is his role should grow on a weekly basis, and Miles Sanders (ankle) is now on Injured Reserve, which means he'll miss at least the next four games. By season's end, it's possible Brooks could be on the RB3/flex radar in the right matchup.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) is officially active for Sunday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. It's the first time that Thielen has been active since injuring his hamstring in Week 3. The 34-year-old veteran had the benefit of a bye in Week 11 and will now return to the field as the Panthers look to give the Chiefs their second straight loss. With Diontae Johnson now in Baltimore, Thielen could be Carolina's most targeted pass-catcher the rest of the way across from rookie Xavier Legette. Thielen was limited in practice all week, though, so there has to be at least a little concern that he won't play his normal number of snaps given his long layoff. Fantasy managers should treat Thielen as a shaky WR4/flex in his return against a stingy Chiefs defense.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver David Moore has seen more involvement in the passing game over the last few weeks. Moore was a non-factor in the offense until a four-catch performance in Week 8. Since then, Moore has seen four targets in each of his last two games. Although, the return of Adam Thielen (hamstring) could mean less targets for Moore in Week 12. If Thielen plays, Moore would fall to fourth on the depth chart which would likely completely eliminate his fantasy value. Regardless, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for help ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will not be on a pitch count as he makes his NFL debut, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The rookie played exceptionally well in college but has not yet taken a snap at the pro level. Even though he's expected to have a full workload this week, Brooks is not a dependable fantasy starter quite yet. Chuba Hubbard will lead Carolina's backfield on Sunday.