Panthers WR Adam Thielen (ankle) is expected to play vs. the Falcons on Sunday, NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reports. Thielen only got in limited practices on Wednesday and Friday this week, so it's safe to assume that he won't be at 100%. He sits in WR4 territory in the Week 1 Rankings.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen (ankle) is listed as questionable for this weekend's opener vs. the Falcons. He got in limited practices on Wednesday and Friday. It's unclear if this is load management for the 33-year-old or if the ankle is a legitimate problem. We'll look for an update on Thielen's situation on Sunday morning. WR Terrace Marshall (back) is not listed on the final injury report after putting in a full practice on Friday.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen (ankle) did not practice on Thursday. That follows Wednesday's limited practice. This could have been a planned day off for Thielen. But, more likely, he hurt that ankle on Wednesday and is now in danger of missing this weekend's opener vs. the Falcons. WR D.J. Chark (hamstring) remained sidelined on Thursday. Rookie WR Jonathan Mingo could be in for a busy debut.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. That doesn't bode well for his chances of playing in this weekend's opener vs. the Falcons. WRs Terrace Marshall (back) and Adam Thielen (ankle) were limited on Wednesday but should be ready come Sunday. Rookie Jonathan Mingo is Carolina's healthiest WR and should be in for a significant role out of the gate.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark is sidelined with a hamstring injury, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. HC Frank Reich declined to give a timetable for Chark's return but said the team isn't planning any “big moves” at the position. Carolina is also without WRs Terrace Marshall (back), Laviska Shenault (concussion), and Damiere Byrd (hamstring). That's left Jonathan Mingo and Adam Thielen as the clear top two healthy receivers. We'll see when these other guys are able to get back on the field.
The Athletic's Joe Person named WR Jonathan Mingo a training camp “riser.” According to Person, the rookie showed he’s “going to be a big part of the rotation with a solid camp.” Mingo should also benefit from the strong showing by QB Bryce Young. See where Mingo stacks up in our fantasy WR rankings.
The Panthers' initial -- and "unofficial" -- depth chart lists rookie WR Jonathan Mingo as a starter, alongside WRs Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark. This might mean nothing, of course, given that teams differ in how seriously they treat released depth charts. But rookies more often appear lower vs. reality on these initial charts -- not higher than their actual standing. So we'll take this is a good sign for the second-round pick. That doesn't make Mingo an exciting fantasy football draft pick in a situation with limited ceiling potential. But he's fine as a best ball selection. No Panthers WR sits inside the top 50 in either our fantasy football rankings or ADP.
Darin Gantt of Panthers.com says it's "increasingly clear during camp that the passing game is going to be diverse." He says WR D.J. Chark has "made daily highlights" but adds that Adam Thielen caught a deep TD Saturday and that "several other wideouts were making plays." The fantasy takeaway here is that you shouldn't expect any Panthers WR to dominate target share. "Diverse" here means that QB Bryce Young is spreading the ball around, which makes sense given the WR corps. Fortunately, the ADP for everyone in the corps is low enough that we don't need a target dominator. Thielen remains the leader of the group in our WR rankings. We're not ignoring the recent Chark buzz, though.
It's not hard to figure out why new Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo made it into Round 2 of the NFL Draft. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch for his SEC career, including 16.9 his final season at Ole Miss. Then he ran a 4.46-second 40 time at the Scouting Combine and notched 89th-percentile measurements in the broad and vertical jumps -- at nearly 6'2 and 220 pounds. So what's not to like? Mingo caught just 39 passes across his first two college seasons. He seemed on his way to a breakthrough junior year before a foot fracture disrupted things. And even in his best (fourth) season, Mingo still trailed teammate Malik Heath in receptions and yards. That makes it tough to expect Mingo to immediately lead an NFL WR corps in production. The rookie sits just ahead of Adam Thielen to lead Panthers WRs in Underdog ADP. But you won't find him nearly so high in our WR rankings. Carolina doesn't sport an impressive group at the position, but be careful about overrating the rookie on that factor.
The Athletic's Joe Person highlighted WRs Terrace Marshall and Jonathan Mingo in the "Stock Up" section of a recent article. The Panthers re-made their WR corps this offseason under new HC Frank Reich, trading away D.J. Moore and adding Mingo, Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark to Marshall and Laviska Shenault. It seems like playing time is up for grabs heading to training camp later this month. We'll keep you updated on the situation.
Speaking at OTAs, Panthers HC Frank Reich gave his thoughts on 3rd-year WR Terrace Marshall. “We saw that last year with the reps that he got, the catches that he had, the big plays that he had. He shows that capacity to be a big-play guy,” Reich said. “The next step with every player is just more reps, more plays, more confidence where it’s like, ‘Hey, give me the ball.’” Marshall spent part of the offseason working with Mo Wells, a former LSU sprinter who also trains Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. The goal was to build muscle with the hopes of avoiding injuries that’ve slowed his development. Still only 23, Marshall isn’t a name to forget in dynasty leagues. But it’s clear the Panthers’ new staff isn’t expecting much after adding Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Round 2 WR Jonathan Mingo.
The Panthers agreed to a one-year deal with WR D.J. Chark. The 26-year-old missed six games in the first half of last season with ankle trouble but made some noise in the second half, averaging 57.7 yards on 17.6 yards per catch over the final seven games. Chark ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 Combine and is averaging 14.4 yards per catch through five NFL seasons. He adds much-needed juice to a Panthers WR corps that added WR Adam Thielen last week. Those two are the current favorites to open the season as Carolina's top two WRs -- although don't count out WR Terrace Marshall. The Panthers, of course, are expected to select their starting QB with the first pick of next month's draft.
The Panthers and WR Adam Thielen have reportedly agreed to a three-year deal. The terms of the contract are unknown as of this writing. After nine years in Minnesota, the long-time Viking and former UDFA will have an opportunity to get his career back on track. Thielen recorded four seasons of 900+ receiving yards between 2016 and 2020 en route to a pair of Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro second-team nomination in 2017. This past season saw his lowest productivity in PPR fantasy points per game (10.6) and target share (17.2%) since 2016, and the Vikings' midseason acquisition of TE T.J. Hockenson caused Thielen to see an even steeper drop-off in usage in the latter half of 2022. With a slim WR corps, Thielen should be able to establish himself as a top option in the Panthers' passing attack. That said, it's tough to imagine a ton of fantasy upside from a player that turns 33 by the time the 2023 NFL season begins. This signing helps dynasty managers left holding the bag after the Vikings released Thielen earlier this month, but that's about it. Thielen's presence as a veteran option for whichever rookie QB the Panthers opt to select with the number one pick of the NFL Draft will be useful, though likely more important for real-life football than fantasy.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings are releasing WR Adam Thielen. It's been a long-rumored, contract-related move. The 32-year-old (until August) has seen his target share decline for two straight seasons. Thielen also tallied a career-low 10.2 yards per catch last season and posted his second smallest averages in both receptions and yards per game since becoming a starter in 2016. We'd still bet on Thielen finding opportunity somewhere else, but it's tough to know how big a role to expect until he lands. You can take some shots on Thielen at his already depressed ADP in current best ball drafts. But don't target him too heavily or expect a huge payoff. Thielen's departure leaves opportunity for WR K.J. Osborn and TE T.J. Hockenson. Don't be surprised, though, if Minnesota adds a wide receiver early in the NFL Draft.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Friday that his regulars will start this weekend's game vs. the Bears but that there's a plan to potentially pull them early to get backups some reps, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The Vikings can't get the NFC's #1 seed and can only climb from #3 to #2 with a 49ers loss to the Cardinals. QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and TE T.J. Hockenson are candidates to leave Sunday's game early.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday that he won't sit his starters in Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Bears -- although he added that he could make "more subtle" adjustments to playing time. The Vikings can't get the NFC's #1 seed but are still alive for the #2 seed with a win plus a loss by the 49ers. Minnesota kicks off at 1 pm ET, while 49ers-Cardinals doesn't start until 4:25 pm ET, so there won't be any scoreboard watching going on. It's possible that the Vikings pull guys like QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WR Justin Jefferson and TE T.J. Hockenson if they build a big lead, but we're currently projecting full playing time for all of them.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for just 205 yards in Sunday's loss to the Packers, with 1 TD and 3 INTs. The lone TD went to WR Jalen Nailor from 47 yards out, helping him lead the team with 89 yards on 3 catches. TE T.J. Hockenson led the team with 12 targets, catching 7 for 59 yards. WR K.J. Osborn added a TD catch, but it came from QB Nick Mullens in garbage time. WR Justin Jefferson managed just 1 reception for 15 yards among 5 looks. Minnesota closes out the regular season with an upside matchup at Chicago.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson caught 12 balls for 133 yards and a TD in Saturday's win over the Giants. It was his 3rd straight game with more than 120 yards and his 10th game of 100+ this season. Jefferson also passed the franchise records for receptions and receiving yards in a season. He leads the league in receiving yards for the season by more than 200, with #2 Tyreek Hill yet to play. WR Adam Thielen caught just 1 of 5 targets for 6 yards against the Giants. WR K.J. Osborn followed his big Week 15 with 3 catches for 17 yards among 4 targets.
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