Carolina Panthers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

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.

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Miles Sanders (ankle) on injured reserve. The veteran playmaker suffered a significant ankle injury during Week 10 in Germany. He had already been ruled out for Week 12, and now his placement on IR will hold him out for a minimum of four games. Sanders has appeared in 10 games this season, totaling 139 rushing yards, 98 receiving yards, and one touchdown in a backup role behind Chuba Hubbard. Carolina will proceed with Hubbard in the lead-back role and Jonathon Brooks (knee) slated to make his NFL debut as the No. 2 option out of the backfield.

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps) popped up on the Week 12 injury report and missed practice on Friday with a quad injury. The Panthers listed him as questionable to play in Sunday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs. Given the fact that the 23-year-old's injury occurred in the final practice of the week, he may be on the wrong side of questionable for this weekend. The good news for the Panthers is that veteran Adam Thielen (hamstring), although also listed as questionable, is expected to play against KC for the first time since Week 3. If Coker plays, he won't be a recommended flex play in deep fantasy leagues with the return of Thielen. Coker has caught 17 of his 26 targets for 263 yards and one TD in his first seven NFL games. If he's ruled out on Sunday, David Moore would be in line to serve as Carolina's WR3.