WR · CAR · 24 yrs · exp 2 · Holy Cross
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: Sep 7, 2026 · 3,301
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
In preparation for the 2026 fantasy football redraft season, this article offers 'Dos' and 'Don'ts' for each skill position. At quarterback, the advice is to avoid drafting top-tier players early, as later-round options offer similar ceiling potential without the high draft capital. For running backs, the landscape has changed due to aging players and a weak incoming class, making value harder to find
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that the starters, including quarterback Bryce Young, will play in the team's preseason game this week against the Buffalo Bills, according to Panthers reporter Kassidy Hill. Young and the starters should get around 10 to 20 plays, depending on how the drives develop. The 25-year-old Young didn't take part in the team's Hall of Fame game last Thursday against the Arizona Cardinals, so he'll see his first preseason action this week. The former first overall pick in 2023 from the University of Alabama had the best year of his career in his third season in 2025, completing 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts while leading the team to the NFC South title. However, it's debatable as to how much higher a ceiling Young has, especially since he doesn't have a big arm or very exciting targets outside of receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Young appears to be trending towards being a solid NFL starting QB, but for fantasy purposes, he's more of a low-end QB2 target with a low ceiling
Carolina Panthers wide receiver John Metchie III, who is with his fourth different NFL team in 2026 in a little more than 11 months, had a 19-yard rush and a 36-yard kick return in Thursday's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. With rookie wideout Chris Brazzell II (knee) already ruled out for the 2026 season, The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye suggests that Metchie has a real shot to compete for the WR3 role this year in Carolina behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. The 26-year-old's primary competition will be Xavier Legette, a former first-rounder who has disappointed in his first two years in the NFL. If Metchie makes more noise in training camp and the preseason, he could have a role in the slot with the Panthers, although it wouldn't generate enough volume for the former second-rounder from Alabama to be much more than a bench stash in deeper redraft formats. In 16 games with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans in 2025, Metchie had career highs with 33 catches, 274 yards, and two touchdowns on 48 targets
Word on Wednesday was that Panthers rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell would miss up to eight weeks after tearing his LCL during practice, but his absence from the field is set to be even longer. Joe Person of TheAthletic.com reports that Brazzell received a second opinion about the knee injury and that he and the team concluded that the best course of action is for the third-round pick to have season-ending surgery . Brazzell is the second Panthers player to suffer a serious knee injury since camp opened last week. Linebacker Nic Scourton will miss the season with a torn ACL. The Panthers also placed wide receiver Dan Chisena on injured reserve this week. The Panthers have signed wideouts Casey Washington and Gabriel Benyard over the last two days. They join Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, John Metchie, Jimmy Horn, Brycen Tremaine, David Moore, and Ainias Smith as available options at wideout
Tetairoa McMillan may be overvalued at his current redraft ADP of WR15 due to potential target competition and the Panthers' run-heavy offense
The Carolina Panthers kick off their training camp next week. Rookies report on July 21st, veterans on July 22nd, and we’ll be inundated with glowing reports of how great and healthy everybody looks by about July 23rd. For all that it can be hard to parse just how much progress a team has made from year to year by the news filtering out of camp, there are always kernels of truth to hold onto. On the one hand, if we hear about Jonathon Brooks spending the entire camp on the Edmund Kugbila Memorial Stationary Bike then we can temper our expectations. On the other hand, it’s hard to know what to make of these practices if Bryce Young throws zero incompletions or interceptions all camp and the receivers catch every ball in their zip code. For all that we may not see every step of development in camp, development does occur. We should be able to see noticeable differences in a lot of position groups by the start of the preseason. This, of course, assumes that the Panthers decide to play any of their starters in the preseason. Holding that optimistic assumption for a moment, we decided to ask y’all which position group you’re most excited to see develop this training camp. Unsurprisingly, y’all want to see the wide receivers. Wide receiver is going to be the group with the fiercest competition for roster spots on the final 53-man roster. The Panthers usually carry six wide receivers on their final roster and try to sneak a couple more guys that they like onto their practice squad. That usually isn’t a problem as most folks around the league have not been looking at players that get cut by the Panthers as viable NFL players. That’s a large part of how they snuck Jalen Coker onto their practice squad last season before signing him to a 3-year, $35M contract this offseason. This year, Coker is a lock to make the roster. So is Tetairoa McMillan , the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. After that, you have Chris Brazzell II, the 83rd overall pick this year, fifth-year veteran Dan Chisena , second-year veteran Jimmy Horn Jr , third-year veteran Xavier Legette , new free agent and fourth-year veteran John Metchie III , eighth-year veteran David Moore , and second-year veteran (and former undrafted free agent) Brycen Tremayne as your seven guys competing for what are likely four remaining roster spots. There are more questions than answers at this point in the offseason about each of these players and how they might stack up against each other. We’ll know more in August, when the Panthers have four preseason games and two joint practices with their last two preseason opponents, the Jacksonville Jaguars (August 19th practice, August 21st game) and the Houston Texans (August 26th practice, August 28th game). For now, break out your old tea leaves or spare goat entrails. Treat the comments here on CSR as good hill and watch the birds. It’s divining season, and the Panthers actually have some tough cuts to make with a talented group of players. Who do you think will make the roster? Scroll on down to the comments to let us know or click here to get started. Checkout FanDuel , the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation
Other NFL team previews: 32. Dolphins | 31. Jets | 30. Cardinals | 29. Browns | 28. Titans | 27. Raiders | 26. Falcons | 25. Giants | 24. Saints | 23. Panthers In all sports, we focus on the last thing we saw from a team, especially if it was in the postseason. We fixate on how a team fared in an elimination event, rather than looking at the larger sample of the season that preceded it. That's a good thing for the Carolina Panthers. The last time we saw the Panthers, they almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history. Carolina, which squeezed into the playoffs with an 8-9 record thanks to playing in a terrible NFC South, was a 10.5-point home underdog to the Los Angeles Rams on wild-card weekend, the biggest home playoff underdog in the Super Bowl era. And with a minute to go, the Panthers led 31-27. A blocked punt led to Bryce Young 's fantastic touchdown pass to Jalen Coker with 2:37 left, giving the Panthers an improbable lead. Matthew Stafford then led the Rams on a fairly easy drive downfield, hitting tight end Colby Parkinson for a winning score with 38 seconds left. There was no shame in being beaten in the final minute by one of the NFL's two best teams last season, with the league's MVP coming up with a clutch drive when he had to. That near-miss changed the perception of the Panthers. They became the team that gave the Rams everything they could handle — Carolina beat the Rams in the regular season, too — and not one of five teams in NFL history to make the playoffs with a record under .500. The Panthers gained confidence too. "We proved that we're supposed to be here and that we're the team we said we are," safety Nick Scott told ESPN . Sometimes that's how a special run starts. In 2011, the Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs at 7-9, upset the New Orleans Saints in the "Beastquake" game, and three seasons later they were Super Bowl champions. The 2014 Panthers made the playoffs with a losing record, won in the wild-card round and a year later Carolina went 15-1 and won the NFC. It can happen. This Panthers team believes in itself. "We definitely showed the world, showed the city of Charlotte that we're here to compete," receiver and 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan said, via the team's site . Figuring out what happens next with Carolina is a challenge. Had the Panthers played in a normal division there wouldn't be any good vibes about them because we wouldn't have had a playoff berth or that close loss against the Rams to preoccupy us. The Panthers profiled as a team that was actually worse than its 8-9 record. They had the fourth-lowest point differential of any team to make the playoffs in NFL history. In DVOA , they were 25th overall, 25th on offense, 22nd on defense and 22nd on special teams. They were 26th in EPA ( expected points added ) on offense and 23rd in EPA allowed. They were 28th in net yards per play according to OddsShark . They won eight games and six came by three or fewer points, though that included a nice win at Green Bay and a regular-season win over the Rams. And now the Panthers get a first-place schedule, the third-toughest in the NFL this season according to SharpFootballAnalysis.com. But winning a bad division was progress for a franchise that had lost double-digit games in each of the previous six seasons. The Panthers spent big on their defense this offseason, signing pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to a huge $120 million deal over four years and also grabbed linebacker Devin Lloyd , a second-team All-Pro last season. It's a young team that took tangible steps forward and added two impact defenders, but by most metrics was one of the 10 worst teams in the NFL last season with a quarterback who still hasn't solidified himself as a top-end starter. Either the loss to the Rams was a sign of a team starting to level up, or just a great effort by an overmatched team that still has a long way to go, as the metrics would indicate. For Carolina [... truncated ...]
Tetairoa McMillan is one of the safest WR2 options for 2026
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald hinted at coming out of retirement earlier this month when he said, " it's a possibility ." The Rams may be Super Bowl favorites without Donald, but last year showed exactly why Los Angeles made big splashes on defense and why the trades for Trent McDuffie , Myles Garrett , and the possible return of Donald could take them from championship hopefuls to actually raising another Lombardi Trophy. The Rams' defense picked up right where it left off in 2025 after racking up 16 sacks in two playoff games in 2024. The unit led the NFL in defensive efficiency over the first 11 games of last season only to fall apart down the stretch, kissing its chances of a Super Bowl goodbye. The Rams ranked 25th in defensive efficiency over their final nine games. Some of the performances were flat-out embarrassing. They allowed five 30-point games, including two to the Panthers . Bryce Young went off on them in Week 13 (15-for-20, three touchdowns, no picks). Amon-Ra St. Brown (13 catches, 164 yards, two touchdowns) torched them in Week 15. Bijan Robinson showcased a track meet on national TV (229 scrimmage yards) in an upset in Week 17. Jalen Coker came out of nowhere to light them up in the playoffs (134 receiving yards) and Sam Darnold (346 yards, three touchdowns) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10 catches, 153 yards, one score) finished the job in the NFC title game. They allowed more individual 130-yard receiving games down the stretch (five) than any team allowed for the entire season. The young pass rush wasn't getting home enough and the secondary had no answers for elite wideouts like Smith-Njigba. That should change in 2026. If Donald does decide to return after two seasons out of the league, the Rams would tie an NFL record for most first-team All-Pro defenders added in a single offseason between McDuffie, Garrett and Donald. If you're like me, you're giddy about the thought of maybe the best defensive tackle ever and the new single-season sack record holder on the same defensive line. The NFL has featured the "Fearsome Foursome," the "Steel Curtain," the "Purple People Eaters" and the "New York Sack Exchange." None would have the credentials of Donald and Garrett. They would be the first pair of players with multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards to play together. At the very least, this duo would be better than what Von Miller and Donald did together in 2021 when Los Angeles won the Super Bowl. Miller made his Rams debut in Week 10 after a midseason trade, and the two put up solid numbers in the regular season (11.5 combined sacks and 14% pressure rate) before flipping a switch in the playoffs. They abused Joe Burrow to the tune of four sacks in the Super Bowl, including Donald's game-winning pressure. That might be the floor for Garrett and Miller. Garrett is better and younger than Miller was at that point in his career. Donald would strengthen as the season goes along and turn it up come crunch time as they did in 2021, too. It's not a stretch to expect Garrett and Donald to be the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL. Last year, that was Will Anderson Jr . and Danielle Hunter . They combined for 176 pressures (and 27.0 sacks), the most by any duo on record (PFF data goes back to 2017 there). The dream scenario for NFL scriptwriters is this pair somehow repeating their record-breaking years (Garrett had an NFL-record 23.0 sacks last year, and Donald had a DT-record 20.5 sacks in 2018). The most combined sacks in a season by a duo is 39.0, set by Chris Doleman and Keith Millard for the 1989 Vikings . If Donald returns, he would join Deion Sanders as the only first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famers (yes, Donald will be first ballot) to return after at least two years out of the league. We can probably temper our early-season expectations for the Donald, Garrett duo as Donald eases back. Maybe that's part of the Rams sales pitch to lure Donald out of retirement, too. Donald wa [... truncated ...]
After a quiet start to the year with the Philadelphia Eagles, wide receiver John Metchie III was a 2025 trade deadline acquisition of the New York Jets, where a much thinner depth chart allowed him to catch 28 passes for 253 yards and two scores over his final eight games. While not earth-shattering numbers, his 17-game pace of 60-538-4 would represent career-highs across the board, and he proved himself a fantasy viable player with two finishes as the WR17 or better. His one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers was one of the more under-the-radar signings of the 2026 free agency period, but in another receiver room that thins out quickly behind Tetatiroa McMillan and Jalen Coker, there is a role to be carved out in an offense that has seen more than 63% of its targets go to wide receivers in the past two years under Dave Canales. The Panthers spent a 2026 third-round pick on Chris Brazzell II, and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette is still on the team, so there's no guarantee of Metchie's spot in the pecking order, but at RotoBaller's WR129, he is a dart throw whose value has sunk so low he can almost be seen as a free throw-in as part of a larger trade
Jalen Coker entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2024 and put together two seasons worthy of a contract extension. The Panthers recently rewarded the wideout with a three-year extension that will keep him under contract through 2029. Coker, 24, hopes to stay in Charlotte much longer. “It was a huge opportunity for me,” Coker said Tuesday, via Kassidy Hill of the team website. “Your dream is to always go get to the NFL, of course, but to stay around and to continue to contribute and to make an impact every Sunday, that’s always been my goal. “This wasn’t the end of my story. This isn’t where I want to be finished at. I just want to continue to build, continue to do good things for this organization down the line. Hopefully, I can stay for eight more years. I didn’t want it to be like I finally made it. I can relax. I can take the foot off the gas a little bit. No, now I’ve got to prove it even more.” In 22 games, Coker has made 65 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns. Coach Dave Canales identified Tetairoa McMillan and Coker as the top two wide receivers, but the Panthers believe they are deep at the position. Xavier Legette and John Metchie are among others on the depth chart. “I think we’ve got so many guys that can play on this team, and it’s just going to continue to push us to be better every single day,” Coker said
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette expressed a 'do or die' mindset heading into the 2026 season, acknowledging his previous two years were not up to his standards. He aims for a significant jump in production, hoping to secure his long-term future with the team
One of the key pieces of the Panthers ’ offense has been extended for three years. Wide receiver Jalen Coker and Carolina agreed to a three-year, $35 million extension on Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport . Coker’s deal could go as high as $41 million with incentives and keeps him in Carolina through at least 2029. The 24-year-old was an exclusive rights free agent this year and was going to be a restricted free agent the following year. He was the No. 2 receiver on the Panthers’ roster in 2025 and made 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns. Coker even had one of his biggest performances of the season during Carolina’s first-round playoff loss to the Rams , when he made nine catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. Coker has played two seasons with the Panthers after he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He has appeared in a total of 22 games. Over his short NFL career, he’s recorded 65 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns. “I’m just excited to play for this team, that’s all it is,” Coker had previously said about being in Carolina, according to ESPN. “All that other stuff, it is what it is. I’m just excited to be here.” Prior to reaching the NFL, Coker had played four years at Holy Cross, making 163 catches for 2,684 yards and a school-record 31 touchdowns
The Panthers and wide receiver Jalen Coker agreed to terms on a three-year, $35 million extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. The deal includes $6 million in incentives. Coker was an exclusive rights free agent this year and scheduled to be a restricted free agent next year. Coker, 24, signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He has played 22 games with seven starts in his two seasons. He has made 65 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns
The Carolina Panthers have signed wide receiver Jalen Coker to a three-year, $35 million contract extension that includes $6 million in incentives. Coker, 24, has played 22 games with seven starts over his two seasons with the team, recording 65 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns
Coker and the Panthers agreed on a three-year, $35 million contract extension with incentives up to $41 million Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Coker was entering a contract year after signing his exclusive-rights free-agent tender with Carolina in April, but he will now be under contract for the next few seasons. The wide receiver has combined to catch 65 of 89 targets for 872 yards and five touchdowns over 22 regular-season contests in his first two NFL campaigns. He is set to enter the 2026 season as the Panthers' primary slot receiver, and he'll look to take a step up in production after his big payday
Jalen Coker has come to an agreement with the Carolina Panthers on a contract extension of 3-years, $35 million with incentives that could drive it up to $41 million. The former UDFA has shown some promising moments in his tenure with the Panthers, notably having a 100 yard game in their playoff showdown against the Rams last season and has brought home quite the bag. He should find himself as the presumed WR2 for the offense
Jalen Coker agrees to a three-year contract extension with the Panthers worth $35 million, with incentives potentially taking the deal up to $41 million
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette said he lost seven to nine pounds in the offseason and is now down to 221 pounds, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Legette also said he's tried to "bulletproof" his hamstrings after previously having issues with them. The 25-year-old, who was the 32nd overall pick in 2024 out of South Carolina, has failed to live up to his lofty draft capital in his first two years in the NFL in Carolina. Legette has totaled 84 receptions on 148 targets for 860 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 31 regular-season games (25 starts). His production took a dip last year, too, as he finished with a 35-363-3 line on 64 targets across 15 regular-season contests. Last year's first-rounder, Tetairoa McMillan, looks like the real deal, and Jalen Coker appears primed to be a breakout candidate in his third year as the team's WR2. That leaves Legette battling with John Metchie III and rookie Chris Brazzell II for targets as the Panthers' WR3. In standard 12-team fantasy leagues in 2026, Legette should go undrafted
Xavier Legette's inconsistent performance and limited opportunities make him a questionable dynasty asset
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
