The Carolina Panthers will travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, specifically regarding QB Bryce Young.
Is Bryce Young Playing in Week 1?
Young is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he will play.
We’ll continue to monitor the Panthers’ injury report leading up to kickoff for any changes. You can also visit and bookmark our Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Bryce Young in Week 1?
By now, you’re well aware that Bryce Young showed signs of growth down the stretch of last season. Those positive vibes were carried over into the first preseason game’s first drive (58 passing yards with a deep completion to Tetairoa McMillan on his first snap and a touchdown to Jalen Coker to finish the masterpiece of a first impression). Now he gets the pleasure of facing a Jags defense that gave up four of the 28 highest scoring QB games a season ago.
We are one game, maybe one half, away from a prominent analyst (fantasy or otherwise) making an outrageous claim in favor of Young.
Be aware of the temperature in the room. I have no issue with rostering Young with hope, but I don’t think there’s a clean path to being a weekly option. Young is more of a cheap DFS play in my books, and with Jacksonville owning the lowest blitz rate in the league in 2024 (Young: 1.6% TD rate on non-blitzed passes as a rookie before posting a 4.2% rate in Year 2), you could squint and get there.
My concern is the raw ceiling. This project will be a close game, and as promising as their pass game projects, I still believe this is an offense that will be middling on the pass rate over expectation (PROE) front. Young accounted for 1.5 total touchdowns per game in 2024, and that’s a tough sell given how low we know the floor to be.
I’m open to Young taking a leap forward this year, mainly because the franchise wants him to. They need him to. That, however, can happen without being considered a legitimate top-12 QB every week, and that’s where I fall in this profile.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 1 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em article.
Bryce Young’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 1
Young is projected to score 11.4 points in PPR formats. This includes 155.8 passing yards, 0.8 passing touchdowns, 14.9 rushing yards, and 0.2 rushing touchdowns.
Check out the free PFSN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Week 1 Weather Impact: Panthers at Jaguars
Weather conditions should be favorable for this outdoor matchup with temperatures at 88 degrees Fahrenheit and light winds of 6 mph.
