Miles Sanders just signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal this spring—and he may be able to help you get paid, too!
NFL analyst Gary Davenport has tabbed the Carolina Panthers running back as one of six players who could be the 2023 version of Josh Jacobs. In other words, he could lead you right to your fantasy football league title.
Davenport notes that Sanders’ projected role as a three-down back for head coach Frank Reich and his offense could see him top his career year:
Chuba Hubbard may poach a few touches here and there, but Sanders appears in line for the heaviest workload of his career to date. He has averaged five yards per carry over his four NFL seasons. He only caught 20 passes in 2022, but he has demonstrated he’s a capable receiver, catching 50 passes as a rookie.
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young is going to need someone to lean on—a safety valve when plays break down. That could mean a lot of dump-offs, and that combined with another 1,000-yard rushing season could easily put Sanders on the RB1 radar.
In 2022, Sanders rushed his way to bests in carries (259), yards (1,269) and touchdowns (11) for the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. He did, however, muster up his worst receiving campaign of his four-year career—reeling in lows in targets (26), receptions (20) and yards (78).
But given Reich’s play-calling style and the heavy influence from assistant head coach and running backs coach Duce Staley, Sanders seems to be a sure bet to become more of a complete threat in 2023—for the Panthers and for your fantasy team.