NFL Player News

Thielen led the Panthers in targets en route to a 29 percent target share. Thielen’s targets have rebounded in recent weeks. He has 20 looks over his past three games. But that hasn’t resulted in much in the way of fantasy production as he has zero touchdowns and one game over 50 yards during that stretch. The volume will keep him on the WR3 radar heading into Week 16.

The deal includes $11.25 million in guaranteed money. The former first-round pick has yet to fully live up to his No. 16 overall selection, with the timing of the extension hinting more at necessity than a true fit schematically. Arizona previously declined his fifth-year option but chose to extend him for two years the day after BJ Ojulari suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury. Either way, look for Collins to see his snap rate increase dramatically off the edge.

Havenstein is the leader of an offensive line that has seen a lot of turnover during the previous three seasons, making his absence something worth monitoring as the 2024 regular season approaches. The team would do well to give Havenstein the required time to get fully healthy before games begin to count. The nine-year veteran has made 130 starts for the franchise since entering the league with the then St. Louis Rams, starting more than 13 games in all but one season.

Brown suffered a career-altering torn Achilles in 2022 and was released by both the Cowboys and 49ers before signing with the Panthers. He is likely to serve as a camp body as he pushes to make the team at the nickel corner position. The Panthers currently lack depth in the secondary behind starters Jaycee Horn, Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, and Dane Jackson, meaning the veteran could work his way into a backup role if he shows out in camp.

The deal includes $65 million in guarantees, bringing his four-year guaranteed total to a robust $106.5 million, the most ever for a wide receiver. Notably, there were no additional years added to his contract, keeping the speedy wide receiver under team control through the 2026 season. Hill has finished as fantasy’s overall WR2 in consecutive seasons while playing for the Dolphins and remains one of the safest first-round selections in drafts this season.

Smith had just 155 yards on 37 carries in 2023 after rushing for 366 yards on 68 carries the year prior, including just 10 rushing first downs after amassing 24 in 2022. “Last year, really midway through the season, I felt I could have used my legs a little bit more,” Smith told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “That’s something I want to continue to do. I’m still very athletic. I play within the pocket, that’s the base of my game, but I think I can add an extra element to what defenses have to account for if I get a couple extra first downs or a couple extra touchdowns.”

Things were already trending in this direction after the Panthers placed Brooks on the NFI list to open training camp. Brooks suffered a torn ACL late in his final season at Texas and has been on the mend ever since. Despite early hopes that he would be ready by the start of training camp, those hopes quickly faded after Brooks failed to get much work in during OTAs and minicamp. As long as he remains out, the Panthers figure to lean heavily on Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders, with Hubbard expected to operate as the lead back. Canales has put emphasis on the running game all offseason and utilized Rachaad White heavily last season in Tampa Bay. Hubbard could have some nice value as a late-round fantasy pick that figures to see plenty of work in both the running and passing game.

Fowler also adds that Mims “will also be a key component in the passing game.” The second-year receiver struggled to crack the depth chart last year despite the team trading up in the second round to acquire him and him averaging a solid 17.1 YPR while posting a 22-377-1 line on 33 targets. Mims made the Pro Bowl as a returner last season, totaling 709 kick/punt return yards on 34 returns while also scoring on a 99-yard kick return touchdown. Courtland Sutton is expected to remain in his typical WR1 role for the Broncos this season, but Mims’ explosiveness should add another element to the offense in the second year under Sean Payton. If he truly is a key component in the passing game, Mims could turn into a nice fantasy value after going in the late double-digit rounds of fantasy drafts all offseason.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote after his recent trip to Bengals camp, “Don’t be surprised, though, if tight end Mike Gesicki ends up being the de facto No. 3 receiver.” Gesicki has been an afterthought in offenses for the last three seasons. Fresh off a 2021 campaign in which he totaled 73-780-2, he managed just 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns in his first and only season under Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and had one of the worst years of his career with the Patriots last season. Now, playing in an offense that’s prioritized the pass since Taylor first arrived in 2019, Gesicki has a chance to rebound from two down seasons and re-establish himself as a threat in an offense that’s expected to be amongst the league’s best in 2024.

Fowler believes Kupp “is all the way back” after the 31-year-old missed five games with an ankle injury last season. According to Fowler, a source close to him said the veteran receiver is “on an absolute mission” this season and that he “was deeply affected about not being [on the field] for parts of last year.” Kupp finished last season as the WR24 in fantasy points per game (13.9), but was the WR1 in back-to-back seasons before that. Still a preferred target of Matthew Stafford’s, it will be interesting to see Kupp’s target share is affected by Puka Nacua, who is coming off a record-breaking rookie season. Whether or not the offense truly runs through Kupp is to be determined, but it sounds like both Kupp and Nacua should be primed for another productive year this season.

According to Gibbs, the team’s goal is to use him as a slot receiver in addition to running back. The second-year pro is well-renowned for his abilities as a pass-catcher. As a rookie, he caught 52 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown but is hoping to expand on that role this upcoming season, which could spell wonders for fantasy managers. Gibbs finished as the RB8 in fantasy points per game (16.4) in PPR leagues last season but averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game in Weeks 7-18. While he’s still at risk of losing valuable goal-line touches to David Montgomery, his stand-alone value, even with Montgomery in the lineup, makes him an enticing pick in fantasy drafts.