Carolina Panthers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Coming off an excellent performance against the Raiders, Carolina Panthers Andy Dalton looks like a good play in Week 4 against Cincinnati. Dalton's former team, the Bengals, just gave up a big quarterback performance to Jayden Daniels of the Commanders. Dalton was 26-of-37 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns in his Week 3 start after taking over for Bryce Young. He will be without one of his top weapons in Adam Thielen (hamstring) who was placed on IR. Still, Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, and Jonathan Mingo should be able to pick up the slack in a favorable matchup. The Red Rifle popped up on the Panthers' first injury report of the week with an ankle issue but was listed as a full participant on Wednesday. Dalton looks like a potential starting fantasy quarterback this week depending on roster construction at the position. He finished as the QB6 in Week 3 and a similar performance this week is not out of the question.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (ankle) appeared on the team's injury report Wednesday but was a full participant in practice. It's unclear when the 36-year-old sustained the injury, but Panthers fans can breathe a sigh of relief as it does not appear to be serious. The long-time Bengal lit it up in his first regular-season action since Week 3 of 2023, becoming the first signal-caller this season to rack up 300 yards (319) and toss three touchdowns in a single outing. It was a vintage performance from the Red Rifle, leading Carolina to its first victory of 2024 and first win since Week 15 of last season. The Panthers will host the 0-3 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, and Dalton has worked his way into streaming consideration ahead of this matchup after his dominant performance. The "revenge game" narrative only makes this contest more exciting. He'll be a QB2 with upside.

When asked about the status of wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring), Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales stated he would not need surgery. It's good news for the veteran wideout, who was placed on the team's injured reserve Tuesday due to a hamstring injury he picked up in Carolina's first win of the season. Before his exit in the second quarter, Thielen had modest production, reeling in 3-of-5 targets for 40 yards and a score. The touchdown -- a 31-yard reception -- is the play in which he injured himself. He'll now miss at least the team's next four matchups. Soft-tissue issues -- particularly hamstrings -- can linger, so it's best to exhibit caution when slotting him back into your lineup upon his return. In his stead, wide receivers Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo project to pick up some extra work. Carolina will look to get in the win column again when they host the visiting Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4.

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) is in the final stages of returning to play, according to Sheena Quick of 1340 AM. Brooks suffered a torn ACL in November and has been sidelined since the beginning of training camp. The former second-round pick in this year's draft could return in Week 5 at the earliest, and this new report suggests that could be the case. In his final season at Texas, Brooks ran for 1,139 yards and ten scores and added 286 yards off 25 catches through the air. Fantasy managers should expect the rookie to be eased into game action when he is cleared to return. However, Brooks should eventually become the lead option in the Carolina backfield and could be a valuable fantasy asset down the stretch.

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle saw 50% of rush attempts and a 10% target share in Week 3's loss to Baltimore. Dowdle's increased usage is encouraging for the future of his fantasy viability, but firing him up into starting lineups for Week 4 may be too early. While Thursday's matchup with the Giants is not ugly on paper, expect Dallas to continue to lean on the passing game. Dowdle will need a touchdown in order to pay off for fantasy purposes, and he has yet to score one in 2024. The 26-year-old is a low-end RB3 option this week.