2026 Team Outlook: Carolina Panthers

52. WR Jalen Coker, CAR - Sleeper (undervalued)

After signing with Carolina as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Coker made the most of his reserve role, with an Adam Thielen injury opening the door to more playing time. He turned heads in just his second NFL appearance, hauling in four catches for 68 yards in Week 5, and backed that up with three more solid showings (4/78/1, 4/110/1, and 7/62). A quad injury sidelined him for three games following Carolina's bye

week. Of his 32 receptions, six covered 20-plus yards, a chunk-play rate of 18.8%. His college production at Holy Cross was substantial, totaling 163 catches, 2,684 yards, and 31 touchdowns across three seasons, with a breakout 2023 campaign (59/1,040/15) that showed real development. Standing at 6'3" and 215 pounds, Coker has the size and reliable hands to be a factor near the goal line, and his route work, while not flashy, gives him a dependable baseline. His 40-yard time of 4.57 won't turn heads compared to the league's elite receivers, but it's perfectly acceptable for a player his size. Going forward, he'll need to sharpen his release against press coverage and tighten up the precision of his breaks to take the next step. After opening the 2025 season with six missed games due to a quad injury, Coker was eased into the Panthers’ offense across six matchups (14/150 on 19 targets). His ceiling shined through in four (4/74/1, 4/60/1, 6/47/1, and 9/134/1) of his final six matchups, including the postseason. His top two target games came in Week 18 (7) and Week 19 (12). Carolina gave Coker WR2 snaps over his final four games. Fantasy Outlook: The Panthers saw enough in Coker’s game to sign him to a three-year deal for $35 million in June. In the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, he ranks 54th among wide receivers with a 10th-round ADP (113). His next step should be 55 catches for 700 yards and five scores, painting a mid-tier fantasy WR4 picture.

57. TE Ja'Tavion Sanders, CAR - Deep-league Only

Sanders gives Carolina an immediate boost in receiving production at tight end for his rookie season. He poses a real threat at the second level of defenses, particularly working across the middle on crossing routes. His run-blocking is serviceable for now and should only get better as he adds weight and strength. He also flashed big-play ability in college, averaging 15.2 yards per catch in 2023. Year TRC SPT TYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 78 0.237 638 0.19 8.18 99 5 2024 61 0.179 618 0.18 10.13 88 3 2023 59 0.169 561 0.17 9.51 98 4 Carolina Panthers

The Panthers selected Sanders in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Over his last two seasons at Texas, he hauled in 99 passes for 1,295 yards and seven scores, with his strongest individual season coming in 2022 (54/613/5). In 2023, Sanders turned in three standout performances (5/114, 5/110, and 8/105/1). In his rookie campaign, Sanders logged snaps on 51.4% of Carolina's offensive plays — the highest rate among the team's tight ends, aided by Tommy Tremble missing five games. He converted 33 of his 43 targets into receptions (a 76.7% catch rate) for 342 yards and a touchdown. His fantasy ceiling showed up in three games (5/49, 6/61, and 4/87), part of a midseason stretch where Carolina fed him 25 targets across five contests. Other than a Week 2 flash (7/54 on nine targets) in 2025, Sanders was worthless to the fantasy market. He missed four games with an ankle injury and a broken leg. The Panthers gave him TE3 snaps (34.8%) across his 14 matchups (29/190/1 on 34 targets) while gaining 6.6 yards per catch. Fantasy Outlook: Sanders has to reestablish himself as the top tight end in the Panthers’ offense in 2026, while starting his fantasy climb out of the free-agent pool.

76. WR Xavier Legette, CAR - Not Draft Worthy

Carolina used the final pick of the first round (No. 32 overall) on Legette in the 2024 draft. A blazing 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine boosted his stock considerably, especially paired with his 6'1", 220-pound frame. He projects best as a downfield weapon. His route-running needs polish, and his release off the line is inconsistent, so most of his

production comes once he's 10-plus yards past the line of scrimmage. Legette will win contested catches and can blow past corners on go routes, and he's dangerous once he gets the ball in space. His college usage was light early on: from 2019 through 2022 at South Carolina, Legette managed just 42 catches, 444 yards, and five scores, with injuries (a hamstring injury in 2020 and a motorcycle accident in 2021) costing him additional time. Everything changed in 2023, when he paced the Gamecocks with 71 catches and 1,255 yards to go with seven touchdowns, averaging a robust 17.7 yards per reception. Four games stood out as career highlights (9/178, 5/189/2, 9/217/2, and 9/120), and Leggette was remarkably steady otherwise, hitting at least five catches in 10 of his 12 starts. As a rookie, Legette played all 16 games, finishing with 49 catches, 497 yards, and four touchdowns on 84 targets. His catch profile skewed shorter than his college tape suggested, likely a byproduct of Bryce Young needing quicker throwing windows. His standout outing came in Week 4 (6/76/1), and his only other usable fantasy weeks came when Legette found the end zone (3/23/1, 4/34/1, and 4/39/1), but each of those came with a yards-per-catch average under 10.0. Across his remaining 12 games, he totaled just 32 catches for 325 yards without a touchdown on 57 targets, translating to only 5.38 PPR points per game. A hip injury knocked him out of Week 16. Legette has the look of a winning backend sleeper wideout in 2025, especially in BestBall formats. Unfortunately, he opened last year with unplayable fantasy stats (8/50/1 on 20 targets) across six weeks while sitting out Weeks 3 and 4 with a hamstring issue. Legette flashed in Week 7 (9/92/1) with some fantasy help four games later (4/83/1). The return of Jalen Coker led to 10 other empty fantasy days (15/146/0 on 29 targets) to end the year.

Fantasy Outlook: Over his first two seasons in the NFL, Legette gained 20 yards or more on 16.7% of his 84 catches, but averaged only 10.2 yards per catch. His college profile hasn't played out as expected early in his career, pushing him to WR3 status in this offense. He went undrafted in June in the National Fantasy Football Championship. I can't dismiss his talent, but Legette can't help fantasy teams with low targets. His first step this summer is outplaying Chris Brazzell.

77. RB Trevor Etienne, CAR - Fantasy Handcuff

Carolina spent a fourth-round pick on Etienne, who never had a full- time backfield role during stops at Florida and Georgia. Across three college seasons and 34 games, he piled up 2,081 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on 371 attempts (a strong 5.6 yards-per-carry average), while adding 62 receptions for 432 yards and a score through the air. A rib injury cost him time in 2024, and Etienne was held out of Week 1 after a DUI arrest that was later dismissed.

On tape, his running style flows well: he reads blocks effectively and has the burst and lateral quickness to slip tackles both between the tackles and in space. Etienne's also got the hands, route savvy, and blitz-pickup ability to project as a legitimate third-down weapon. What's missing is top-end explosiveness. He doesn't have a true second gear for breaking off long runs, and Etienne can get caught off guard in pass protection when facing free rushers. At 5'8" and 200 pounds, Etienne is on the smaller side for an NFL back and was just 21 when he entered the league. Despite a college resume that wasn't eye-popping, Etienne has the tools to outperform his draft profile at the next level. He clocked a 4.42 in the 40 at the Combine, and football fans will recognize the family name — his brother Travis Etienne went to Jacksonville in the 2021 draft. Fantasy Outlook: In his rookie season, the Panthers had Etienne on the field for only 66 plays (20/94/0 with three catches for 13 yards). He returned 20 punts (163 yards) and 31 kickoffs (733 yards). Despite an expected waiver wire profile, Etienne could emerge as the best Panthers’ running back over the back half of the season if injuries clear a path for more touches.