Carolina Panthers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (shoulder) expects to play in Week 6 despite exiting during the second half of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. Legette, a rookie, finished with just one catch for eight yards prior to his departure. With both Legette and Adam Thielen (hamstring) sidelined, additional opportunities were created for receivers Jonathan Mingo and Jalen Coker. After the game, Legette acknowledged that he's banged up but should be good to go for the Panthers' clash with the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday. Legette commanded 10 targets and found the end zone last week, so he could return to the low-end WR3 tier if the Panthers are able to get back on track in Week 6.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker caught all four of his targets for 68 yards through the air during Sunday's Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears. Coker, an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross, had not caught a pass prior to Sunday's defeat. However, he took advantage of injuries to Adam Thielen (hamstring) and Xavier Legette (shoulder), climbing up the depth chart and earning his way into meaningful production. In fact, Coker led the Panthers in both catches and receiving yards this week. Now that he has proven himself in game action, perhaps Coker will earn more snaps going forward. He remains off the fantasy radar but is someone worth monitoring over the next few weeks.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard reeled off another excellent performance in the team's 36-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for just 136 scoreless yards Sunday -- and was eventually benched for second-year QB Bryce Young in the waning minutes of regulation -- but that didn't stop Hubbard from ripping off another big stat line. The 25-year-old toted the rock 13 times, churning out 97 yards and a touchdown on the ground while hauling in all four of his targets for -2 "additional" yards. It marks the fourth-year back's third-straight outing with a touchdown and four in a row with at least four catches. Additionally, he was just three yards shy of eclipsing the century mark in his third consecutive game. The former fourth-round pick has been a pleasant surprise of fantasy output over the last few weeks. However, the question arises of his role if and when quarterback Bryce Young regains control of this offense. When that happens is anyone's guess, but until then, Hubbard can be considered a high-end RB2 with upside. He'll have a harder time reaching those marks against the Falcons in Week 6, but he is a must-start option.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton completed 18-of-28 passes, tossing for 136 yards and one interception in the team's 36-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. He added three yards on his sole carry. It was an outing to forget for the Red Rifle as he struggled to move the ball against the Bears defense. Dalton completed 65% of his passes in Week 5, but it was his first outing this season without a touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, with the game out of reach, the 36-year-old was benched for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, who responded with 58 yards on a crisp 4-of-7 passing to close out the game. While Joe Person of The Athletic reports that head coach Dave Canales has already committed to the veteran signal-caller for Week 6, it wouldn't be one bit surprising to see the former second-round pick have a shorter leash than usual after two straight losses. Carolina will host their division rivals the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday, and if Dalton plays a full compliment of snaps, he'll be a QB2 for that contest.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (shoulder) exited during the first half of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears and is officially questionable to return. At the time of his departure, Legette had caught his only target for an eight-yard gain through the air. Carolina is already short-staffed in the passing game with Adam Thielen (hamstring) and Tommy Tremble (concussion) sidelined, so losing Legette is far from ideal. Jonathan Mingo projects to earn more opportunities until Legette can return to the mix.