Carolina Panthers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Tennessee Titans kicker Matthew Wright is not a household name in fantasy football, but he should generate some buzz on the waiver wire in deep leagues. Wright is replacing Nick Folk (abdomen) for the second week in a row, and as he takes on the Houston Texans this Sunday, he'll look to build on last week's solid stat line that included one extra point and a 2-for-2 success rate on field goals. The 28-year-old kicker has been dependable in stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs this year, helping him rank as a top-18 fantasy kicker for the final week of the regular season. Wright warrants consideration among fantasy managers seeking a last-minute fill-in.

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker has mainly been a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper fantasy leagues in his first season in the NFL. He heads into the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons with only 25 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns on 39 targets over 10 games played. That has been good enough to make him the WR74 in average half-PPR points per game (6.6), so it's safe to say he wasn't rostered in most standard-sized fantasy leagues in 2024. However, the 23-year-old could make some noise as a WR4/flex sleeper in the final game of the regular season this weekend against a Falcons defense that has allowed the sixth-most half-PPR points per game to opposing wideouts this year. Although the undrafted rookie had only 35 yards in last weeks loss to the Bucs, he finished second on the team in receiving behind veteran Adam Thielen.

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will look to top off his surprising breakout season in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders with a splash. The 26-year-old has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games and now faces a solid matchup against Washington's 20th-ranked run defense. He will look to solidify his finish as an RB2 on the season. Dowdle is in RB1 territory heading into the season's finale and should be started in any leagues that run into Week 18.

According to the team, Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip/wrist) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie wideout opened the week as a full participant on Wednesday but was downgraded to a limited participant on Thursday and Friday, which caused him to carry a questionable tag. The 23-year-old missed their Week 16 contest with these same injuries but was able to suit up last weekend. In Week 17, the South Carolina Product caught five of his nine targets for just 28 yards. If Legette can turn the corner in time for Sunday, he would slot in as the No.2 WR on the team, behind Adam Thielen. Fantasy managers should view him as a risky flex option, as he has not scored double-digit PPR points over his past five games despite seeing 6.8 targets per game.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip, wrist) was limited during practice on Thursday. The rookie had been a full participant on Wednesday, so this latest update does raise some concerns about his availability for Week 18. The 23-year-old has caught 46 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns while operating behind Adam Thielen this season. He continues to lose some targets to Jalen Coker and David Moore, but he remains an intriguing dynasty target as he wraps up a solid first campaign in the NFL. In the short term, Legette's status for Week 18 remains up in the air, but we should get more clarity on his status when the Panthers release their Friday injury report.