Four quarterbacks attempted passes for the Carolina Panthers last season. None of them return. Leading receiver DJ Moore is also gone, traded to the Chicago Bears as part of the package used to acquire the No. 1 overall pick, which became Alabama’s Bryce Young.
The team hired Frank Reich as their new head coach to help speed Young’s transition from college to the pros, and the hope is he’ll be ready to guide the club in Week 1, though veteran Andy Dalton was signed as an insurance policy.
Add it up and you’re left with a massive overhaul: a new coach, two new QBs, and three of the projected top-five receivers were added in the offseason. That includes a pair of veterans in longtime Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen along with DJ Chark Jr., most recently of the Detroit Lions, and a rookie in the form of second-round pick Jonathan Mingo.
With so many moving parts, it’s a good time to take an initial look at Carolina’s receiver room to gauge what they might have to offer fantasy owners in 2023.
Adam Thielen
Although it feels like Thielen was a longtime fantasy contributor, he logged only two 1,000-yard seasons during his nine years in Minnesota, the last coming in 2018. His red-zone connection with Kirk Cousins kept him relevant, however, as he scored 30 touchdowns over the past three campaigns. Entering his age-33 season, Thielen doesn’t offer much athletically, firmly morphing into a full-fledged possession receiver the last two years. He remains a savvy route runner, however, and he offers a level of reliability nobody else on the depth chart can match — provided he actually stays healthy.
With three-year averages of 70 receptions and 789 yards, Thielen is easily the most accomplished of Carolina’s options, and he could function as a safe outlet for Young as he develops.
DJ Chark Jr.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chark signed with Detroit for 2022. He had a few moments of intrigue, most notably a four-game stretch in December when he tallied 16 catches, 318 yards, and a touchdown, but his final totals (30-502-3) reflected his inconsistency. Chark also dealt with injuries once again, missing six games with an ankle issue — that makes a combined 22 games he has missed over the last three seasons.
There’s some upside with Chark, who cobbled together 1,008 yards and eight TDs with the Jags in 2019, but you must consider whether the combination of medical- and performance-based downside is such that the floor is too low for what looks like a modest ceiling.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
With 490 yards on 28 receptions (17.5 YPC), Marshall is Carolina’s top returning receiver, which is more an indictment of the passing game in 2022 than an endorsement of the third-year pro’s development. While the LSU alum flashed, he never caught more than four passes in a game and finished with two or fewer eight times in 14 outings. A second-round pick in 2021, Marshall has a nice combination of size and speed, and you could argue his upside is the highest of the team’s receivers.
Laviska Shenault Jr. and Jonathan Mingo
Rounding out the group are Shenault (27-272-1), acquired from Jacksonville last August, and Mingo, a rookie from Ole Miss. Shenault caught 121 passes in two years with the Jags, mostly on quick hitters and bubble screens, and he could be used as a gadget guy.
Mingo has field-stretching speed, but with Chark and Marshall ahead of him on the depth chart he could face an uphill climb for snaps. Neither player is worth your attention on draft day. Should an opening be created, Mingo becomes intriguing.
Fantasy football outlook
While you can make a roster case for the top three wideouts, none can be viewed as a viable fantasy starter. Thielen is the safest choice, albeit as nothing beyond a low-end WR4. Marshall has perhaps the most potential, though he hasn’t shown enough to be anything other than a curiosity and is better suited as a name for your watch list. Chark is more established than Marshall and owns more upside than Thielen; he might be worth a pick as a WR5 in larger leagues.
