How did the Panthers do in fantasy football? Will those trends continue?
The Carolina Panthers were back to looking like cellar dwellers this week, getting completely dragged in all phases by the Chicago Bears in week five of the NFL season. Let’s take a look back at how individual Panthers players fared and if they are worth keeping moving forward. For these articles, I will be using fantasy totals in an ESPN Fantasy league I am part of, so your numbers might have been slightly different.
Quarterback
Andy Dalton
No, David Newton, it is not time to go back to Bryce Young. Even in garbage time he almost threw an interception. Dalton did not fare much better, though. He only amassed 136 passing yards and threw an interception en route to just 3.74 fantasy points. The offense was largely dink and dunk, and Dalton’s only interception came on one of the few downfield passes he attempted. Still, Dalton is the Panthers’ best option at quarterback, and I still view him as a solid QB2/QB3 because of his ability to put up big numbers now and then.
Running Backs
Chuba Hubbard
Chuba kept chugging along this week, rushing for just under 100 yards and a touchdown to give him 17.5 fantasy points. The mind-boggling decision to use Miles Sanders on the drive immediately following Chuba’s long touchdown run definitely hindered Chuba’s production (and the Panthers’ chances of winning). Chuba is still the bell cow and still in the RB1 tier. At this point he’s pretty much a must-play.
Miles Sanders
Miles only had a handful of touches in large part to the Panthers abandoning the run game early after falling behind quickly. Hopefully Canales gets more balanced in his play calling, especially when trailing. Still, Sanders only managed 5.3 fantasy points and is not worth a roster spot in most leagues.
Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson
For the first time since Andy Dalton took over, Johnson looked less than stellar. He managed just three catches for only 23 yards, good for 5.9 fantasy points. He was up against a very good Chicago secondary, so I’m willing to cut him some slack this week. He’s definitely still worth a roster spot and a prime flex option most weeks.
Xavier Legette
Legette’s only catch, which was for eight yards, ended with him leaving the game with a shoulder injury. His 1.8 fantasy points was disappointing, but the injury is even more concerning. Bench Legette for now if you have him, otherwise leave him alone. Hopefully the injury isn’t too bad, otherwise other receivers will have to step up. Speaking of which…
Jalen Coker
You guys, it’s happening! Finally a preseason CSR favorite is actually on the team and making plays. Coker made his NFL debut and caught all four of his targets for 68 yards. His 10.8 fantasy points led all Panthers wide receivers on the day. And he only saw the field after Legette’s injury. If you were one of the original CSR Coker-heads, you may want to snap him up.
Tight Ends
Not applicable. The Panthers don’t have those.
Defense/Special Teams
El oh el, nope.