Jonathon Brooks is going in the ninth or tenth round for a reason, and it’s not just the two ACL tears. I like the range where you can get him, but I’m not buying the case that he’s a locked-in weekly RB2 the moment he steps on the field.
Why Jonathon Brooks Is Being Drafted as a Post-Hype Panthers Sleeper
The talent argument is real. Brooks closed his Texas career with 1,139 rushing yards on 6.1 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns, adding 25 catches for 286 yards and a receiving score. That profile got him drafted 46th overall in 2024, the first running back off the board that year. He’s totalled nine NFL carries thanks to a second torn ACL that wiped out his 2025 season, but coaches have said he looks close to fully healthy heading into camp this summer.
I’m happy for him, and this is poised to be a good story, but that doesn’t mean I’m overextending to make him a part of my fantasy squad.
The path is open because Chuba Hubbard, RB1 by default, was mediocre last season. Hubbard managed just 3.8 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown on 134 carries while sharing work with Rico Dowdle. There are 32 teams in the NFL and, per our Running Back Impact grading metric, he was 44th best at the position a year ago.
Yikes.
Dowdle left for Pittsburgh in free agency, but that’s addition by subtraction more than it is proof Hubbard’s job is safe. At an ADP of 101 overall, RB34, Brooks is cheap enough that the risk is contained even if the health questions resurface.
It’s a fine price today, but with momentum in his favor, that price is unlikely to be there when you’re drafting in late August or early September.
The Bear Case for Brooks Doesn’t Hold Up to Scrutiny
Even if Brooks wins the early-down work, he’s landing in one of the least appealing offensive environments in football. Carolina finished 2025 ranked 27th in both total yards and points, and that’s hardly a new issue. During the Young era:
- 28th in red zone drives
- 30th in yards per play
- 31st in points per game
A committee back on an offence that can’t finish drives is a tough sell for weekly production, especially if the touch count is likely to fluctuate weekly.
I’d rather spend that pick on Jordan Mason, who has a real shot at seizing a backfield outright rather than splitting one. Outside of that range, Brooks is still the right RB2 target in that tier. He’s unlikely to push much past a 15-touch role given the Panthers’ understandable caution with his knee, but his usage can climb as the season goes if he stays healthy and proves trustworthy.
The schedule sets up well for exactly that kind of climb: Carolina has access to a three-week December stretch at Minnesota, home against New Orleans and home against Cincinnati, all matchups where a healthy, trusted Brooks could see the ball enough to matter and do damage with that opportunity.
Some analysts are already talking themselves into weekly RB2 numbers if Brooks locks down the earlier-down role. I get the appeal, but I need to see him survive a full slate of live snaps and Carolina actually finish drives before I make that leap.
I’m drafting him at cost right now, but I won’t be budging and I suspect that has me behind the industry norm when draft season hits a fever pitch.
If you want to get a feel as to what a team with Brooks added as a late option looks like, fire up our FREE Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator and let it rip!
