Carolina Panthers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen said on The Rich Eisen Show that it's been an awesome offseason for the team, and second-year quarterback Bryce Young just looks "more comfortable." Thielen went on to explain that Young is just more immersed in the offense heading into his second season in the NFL and that the two have gained valuable chemistry on and off the field. It was a whirlwind for Young leading up to his first NFL campaign, which couldn't have gone much worse. The 22-year-old former Alabama product is already on his second head coach in two seasons, but there's nowhere for him to go but up in 2024. The Panthers added receiver Diontae Johnson to give Young some help in the passing game. Not many fantasy football managers are going to want anything to do with Young after what they saw in 2023, but he's not a bad low-end QB2 target in superflex leagues with upside.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen quietly had a productive season in 2023, especially considering he was catching passes from a rookie quarterback in one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Thielen, who turns 34 before Week 1, racked up 103 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in his first season with the organization. He accounted for 31% of the team's overall receiving yards. Although the team invested in wideout Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette, Joe Person of the Athletic believes the veteran will remain a key contributor. "Thielen might not be counted on as much during his age-34 season, but he'll be a big part of the offense," Person wrote. Thielen is a three-time 1,000-yard receiver and has the most chemistry with Young, so he might be underrated based on his current price in drafts. On most platforms, he's being selected outside the top 70 wideouts.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wouldn't say whether or not second-round rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will be ready for the start of training camp next month. The Texas product is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered on November 11 against TCU last year. Although Canales did not provide an update, he did say the team would ease him into action when he's ready to go. While Brooks should eventually be the clear lead ball carrier in Carolina, he might be on a snap count early in his career. On top of that, the Panthers offense is likely to be one of the worst units in the NFL once again. Brooks is one of the tougher players to evaluate in fantasy football, but he should be able to produce at least low-end RB2 numbers in the second half of his rookie campaign. His upside could be capped if quarterback Bryce Young and his supporting cast don't take a significant step forward in 2024.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) is dealing with a minor hamstring injury and has been limited this offseason, but head coach Dave Canales said he expects the rookie first-rounder to be a full participant in training camp. Legette, who was selected with the No. 32 overall pick in April's draft, will compete with Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Jonathan Mingo for snaps and targets in Year 1. Carolina's offense is one of the tougher units to evaluate for fantasy football, as everything depends on the growth of sophomore quarterback Bryce Young. Legette posted fewer than 500 total yards in his first four seasons at South Carolina but broke out in 2023 with a 71-catch, 1,255-yard, seven-touchdown campaign. For now, he should be viewed as nothing more than a late-round flier in most formats.

Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) is still dealing with a hamstring issue that popped up last week as the voluntary organized team activities continue this week. The 23-year-old pass-catcher is dealing with a little tightness in his hamstring. The issue doesn't appear to be very serious, but the Panthers are taking it easy on their first draft pick from this year. Even though Legette's injury isn't serious, he's missing more valuable reps at OTAs as he learns a new offense and tries to gain chemistry with second-year quarterback Bryce Young. As long as Legette is ready to go for the start of training camp at the end of July, it shouldn't affect his fantasy draft stock much in 2024. The 32nd overall pick in April out of South Carolina will have an uphill battle for weekly fantasy relevance in his rookie campaign with both Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen stealing precious targets from him in an offense that looked terrible in 2023.