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Projecting Panthers skill position depth chart and fantasy impact

Does Carolina have enough to withstand another injury to Christian McCaffrey? And could they finally unsaddle themselves from Sam Darnold?

By L Truscott
NFL: Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers starter their season on a positive note, winning three games in a row against what turned out to be mostly inferior competition. Things didn’t go so well after that. Carolina lost all but two of the next 14 games, finishing the season dead last in the NFC South. But that wasn’t too far off expectations. The Panthers were hit hard with injuries and are in the process of remaking their roster. They don’t figure to be competitive in their division this year either, but better luck with injuries and some interesting young offensive talent, they could have a few players worthy of fantasy attention in 2022.

Quarterback

  1. Sam Darnold
  2. Matt Corral

Running back

  1. Christian McCaffrey
  2. Chubba Hubbard
  3. D’Onta Foreman
  4. Spencer Brown

Wide receiver

  1. DJ Moore
  2. Robby Anderson
  3. Terrace Marshall
  4. Rashard Higgins

Tight end

  1. Tommy Tremble
  2. Ian Thomas
  3. Stephen Sullivan

Biggest offseason changes

The Panthers may have gotten a steal during the draft, selecting Matt Corral with a third-round pick. That might finally give them someone capable of pushing aside Sam Darnold. Signing D’Onta Foreman gives them some more insurance in case the injury bug bites McCaffrey again or if he’s lost a step. Their new left tackle, first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu, could be a huge help to the offense too.

Biggest questions for fantasy football

A lot of us thought McCaffrey’s injury troubles from 2020 would be a thing of the past, making him a viable choice for an early pick in fantasy drafts. Nope. Injuries limited him to seven games last season. Will he return to form in 2022? If not, will the combo of Hubbard and Foreman be enough?

It should be pretty obvious that Darnold is not a starting quarterback in the NFL. But do the Panthers know that? It wouldn’t take much for Corral to push him for the starting job. Corral might not be an option as a reliable starter in standard 12-team fantasy leagues, but he’s got more than enough upside to be worth a spot in dynasty leagues. And if he does manage to get on the field this season, he could be worth some attention in DFS lineups as well.

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