The Carolina Panthers will face the Denver Broncos in Week 8. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Panthers skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 8 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Andy Dalton, QB
Dalton’s lone pass in Week 1 against the Saints fell incomplete and that resulted in a 39.6 passer rating — he was hardly better than that on Sunday in Washington against one of the worst defenses in the NFL (44.0).
The win over the Raiders in Week 3 was fun, but we are well past his usable window in fantasy football ‘24. Dalton has failed to average even six yards per pass attempt in all four games since that shocking performance, throwing an interception in each of those contests (held without a touchdown toss in two of them).
This team could/should turn back to Bryce Young, and if you forced me to pick a quarterback to score the most points from Weeks 8-18, the second-year QB would get my vote.
Bryce Young, QB
Young is back under center for the Panthers, though it should be noted that the returning to QB1 honors is more the result of Andy Dalton and team struggles than it is anything we’ve seen on the field.
Not one of Young’s 65 passes has resulted in a touchdown this season. We’ve seen limited passers produce viable fantasy numbers in the past, but with just one rushing scored and 2.3 carries per game across his career, Young doesn’t have a clear path to mattering in most instances.
Could he show growth with time? Could Dave Canales sink his teeth in and have the second-year QB trending up by the time this season ends? Those things are within the range of outcomes, but asking him to give you even QB2 numbers this week against a defense that is top-5 in pressure rate, sack rate, touchdown rate, and yards per pass is — well, it’s a stretch. At best.
Chuba Hubbard, RB
Hubbard has at least 17 touches in five straight games and has finished no worse than an RB2 in six straight. At this point, Hubbard is essentially matchup proof, though there is no denying that his upside looks very different when this team is remotely competitive.
Hubbard hasn’t earned a single target in the two 30-point losses this season, but he has at least four grabs in every other game. I’m not yet worried about the potential impact of Jonathon Brooks, though that does factor into the rest-of-season outlook, as this team could opt to get the rookie up to speed as this lost season comes to an end.
We can cross that bridge when we get to it. The Broncos have allowed the fifth-lowest running back rushing touchdown rate and held Alvin Kamara to just 10 yards on seven carries last week. The matchup puts him on the fringe of RB1 status instead of the middle of it: You’re starting him wherever you have him and continuing to do so until we get a feel for their plan for Brooks.
Jonathon Brooks, RB
Brooks tore his ACL against TCU on November 11, 2023, and is nearing his NFL debut. How the 1-6 Panthers go about using their second-round pick is anyone’s guess, but for our purposes, things appear to be pretty straightforward.
Chuba Hubbard is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 17.9 touches per game for Carolina, giving them every excuse to ease in Brooks, understanding that the rookie isn’t going to save their already lost 2024 season. This may not sound ideal for those of us who invested in Brooks this summer, but I actually like how this lines up because it means you don’t have to guess.
You’re benching Brooks. You are in a position to wait and see. Is it possible that Brooks is given enough work to be Flexed with time? It is, but I need to see it, maybe twice, before acting on it. He could well play before the Week 11 bye, but I’d be surprised if he is of fantasy lineup consideration before Thanksgiving.
The idea that Carolina could treat Brooks like Las Vegas did Zamir White last season is my hope and why I’m holding in spots where I have a competitive team. The Raiders used last December as a trial run for what the next season was going to look like. With Hubbard a free agent after this season, there is a path to similar usage.
Diontae Johnson, WR
The initial energy that Andy Dalton inserted into this offense was fun, but the magic seems to have died, and Johnson’s fantasy stock is tanking as a result. He hasn’t been a top-55 receiver in two of three games this month, his stumbles appear unlikely to steady this week against a Broncos defense that allows the fourth-fewest yards per slot completion this season.
Patrick Surtain II (concussion) could return to the field this week, and while he wouldn’t project as a Johnson shadow, he would handle the perimeter snaps. That would knock out one path to viability.
The volume of Johnson is no longer something I trust, and with just 20.3% of Panthers drives crossing the opponents’ 20-yard line (third lowest), you really have to squint to see a profile that matters in anything but the deepest of leagues.
Xavier Legette, WR
The rookie has had his moments this season, but they haven’t come recently or under Bryce Young, which introduces more risk than reward into his fantasy profile (34 receiving yards so far in three October games).
Young is averaging a hard-to-comprehend 4.6 yards per pass attempt this season with zero scores on 65 attempts and a QB+ grade since the beginning of last season, which nearly broke our model.
Diontae Johnson projects as the clear target leader on this team, and I’m not confident he provides value in a standard-sized league – a secondary option that could well see some Patrick Surtain coverage on the perimeter isn’t of any interest to me in anything besides Hail Mary DFS lineups.
Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos Game Insights
Carolina Panthers
Team: The Panthers have created pressure on just 21.9% of their blitzes this season (the NFL average nets out around 41%).
QB: Andy Dalton has failed to average even six yards per pass attempt in all four games since that shocking performance, throwing an interception in each of those contests (held without a touchdown toss in two of them).
Offense: The Panthers have scored 37 points in three October games (they are allowing 38 PPG in those games).
Defense: The Panthers allow 34.7 PPG (243 total points allowed). That’s tied with the 2020 Dallas Cowboys for the most points allowed through seven games in the last 50 seasons.
Fantasy: Jonathan Brooks’ debut is coming, but Chuba Hubbard has scored in four of his past five games and has been an RB2 or better in six straight.
Betting: Since the start of last season, the Panthers are 3-8 ATS on the road when the total closes under 45 points.
Denver Broncos
Team: The Broncos are seeking to improve to 5-3. They haven’t been above .500 through eight games since 2016, when they were 6-2.
QB: Bo Nix scrambled on 21.2% of his dropbacks in Week 7 vs. the Saints, tied with Jayden Daniels for the highest scramble rate in a game this season.
Offense: The Broncos averaged 6.1 yards per rush in Week 6 vs. the Chargers and 6.4 yards per rush in Week 7 vs. the Saints. It’s the first time Denver has averaged at least six yards per rush in consecutive games since 2011 (Weeks 8-9), during Tim Tebow’s stint as their starting QB.
Defense: The Broncos had a season-high 21 pressures in Week 7 vs. the Saints. That included six pressures from Zach Allen, who has accounted for 35% of Denver’s pressures this season (third-highest among interior linemen behind Chris Jones and Kobie Turner).
Fantasy: Courtland Sutton was not targeted for the first time in his career in Week 7. Sutton’s 28 routes run without a target were tied for the second-most by a wide receiver this season, trailing Justin Watson of the Chiefs (31 in Week 5, also vs. the Saints).
Betting: Under tickets have cashed in eight of Denver’s past nine played on extended rest (this is their first game of 2024) – they’ve covered eight of their past 11 such games.
