It might feel unbelievable, but the Carolina Panthers are a solid team in the NFL. Throughout the year, they’ve been as competitive as any other organization and now stand to have a real shot of making the playoffs. At 5-4 with the second seed in the NFC South, their path to the postseason is legitimate.
But a major reason for their success has been Tetairoa McMillan. The rookie wide receiver has been a consistent target for his quarterback, allowing Bryce Young to shine for basically the first time in his NFL career. But a hamstring injury has raised doubts about his availability in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints.
Will Tetairoa McMillan Play Against the Saints?
Ranked 40th on PFSN’s WR Impact, McMillan has tallied 558 yards and two touchdowns in nine games for Carolina. His receiving yards total is far and away the highest on the team, as the next player on the list is Xavier Legette at 181.
Simply put, McMillan is invaluable to the Panthers’ offense, which is what made his hamstring injury all the more scary for the organization. It wasn’t clear when the injury occurred to the rookie wide receiver.
However, he showed up on the injury report as a limited participant in Friday’s practice, earning a Questionable status for the game. But, according to Adam Schefter, his status for the game isn’t in jeopardy yet.
Taking to X, he wrote, “Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a hamstring injury, is expected to play vs. the Saints, per source.”
#UPDATE: McMillan is active and will play against the Saints in Week 10.
The biggest piece of the puzzle to their passing offense, his absence could have severely impacted a team that already ranks 21st on PFSN’s Offense Impact.
McMillan’s Fantasy Outlook
It seems like, every year, there are a few players that flash on the field, but less so in the box score. He certainly qualifies.
The rookie is a pro-level target earner, but he’s playing in an underwhelming offense, and that’s why, despite the volume of looks, he’s been held under 50 receiving yards in three of his past four and has scored in only one game this year.
He could have scored last week in Lambeau, but Bryce Young delivered a high target with some weird spin on it, and he couldn’t convert. This is the first of two New Orleans matchups coming up, spots where the extra attention from the defense may not be too preventive.
I’m starting McMillan with confidence in this matchup: I’ll go back to doing the “not all targets are created equal” thing next week against the Falcons, but in this spot, his 8-10 target projection comes with top-24 fantasy production attached to it.