After ending last season in awesome form, posting 15+ FPTS in four of his final six games, including a 31.4-FPTS explosion vs. the Rams in the Wild Card round, Jalen Coker ($5,100) inked a three-year, $35 million extension with the Panthers this offseason.
Following this big pay day, Coker kept his foot on the gas and stayed sizzling hot in Week 1, torching the Bears for a career-best 36.8 FPTS this past Sunday. Coker hauled in 8-of-9 targets for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
After this outing, Coker was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left foot in the Panthers’ locker room Monday, after he apparently rolled his ankle in the first quarter of Sunday’s matchup. However, Coker isn’t expected to miss any time, per ESPN’s Mike Kaye.
You would have never guessed that Coker was dealing with a sprained ankle given his brilliant performance and him powering through to have one of the best showings of Week 1 shows you this injury isn’t much of a concern.
Up next, Coker is facing the Falcons this Sunday, so is the receiver a must-start for this matchup?
Jalen Coker’s Week 2 Outlook
Coker’s usage was terrific in the season opener vs. the Bears. The receiver led the Panthers in targets (9) and routes (40). Coker saw a 23.7% target share and three targets over 20 yards, both of which were team highs. Coker hauled in two of those 20+ yard targets, one of which went for a touchdown.
Coker clearly outplayed Tetairoa McMillan ($6,100). Coker caught 8-of-9 targets while McMillan only brought in 5-of-8 targets. He also averaged an elite 3.45 YPPR, whereas McMillan averaged 1.92.
Coker has now outscored McMillan in three straight games and it hasn’t been particularly close, with Coker scoring a whopping 48.8 more FPTS during this span. McMillan sits ahead of Coker on the depth chart, but the Panthers’ actual No. 1 receiver is very much up for debate.
After facing a soft Bears defense in Week 1, things get more difficult for Coker in Week 2 vs. the Falcons. Atlanta faced the Steelers in Week 1 and allowed just 5.0 YPA, which ranked fifth for the opening week.
The Falcons were a middle of the pack group last season, giving up the 14th-most YPA (6.4), so they may be weaker than their performance last week suggests, but nonetheless, this should be a more challenging matchup than Chicago, which allowed the fifth-most YPA last season (7.1) before getting burnt by the Panthers in Week 1.
That being said, I am not overly concerned about this matchup and you would be crazy to sit Coker right now. The wideout is on a sensational run and while we can’t expect a third straight outing over 30 FPTS, Coker having a strong performance of around 15-20 FPTS is very possible.
Coker is a locked in WR3/FLEX play for season-long leagues and he is a tough fade for DFS at only $5,100 on DraftKings, even though he is likely to be popular.
