The Jalen Coker breakout is here; the former Holy Cross product emerged as the Panthers WR1 against the Bears today, hauling in 8 of 9 targets from QB Bryce Young for 138 yards and two touchdowns, outproducing second year WR Tet McMillan, who caught 5 passes for 75 yards.
An analytics community flag plant, Coker went undrafted despite dominating Patriot League football at Holy Cross where he posted an eye watering 54% college dominator rating, along with an age 19 breakout age, marks that sit in the 98th and 92nd percentile, respectively. Fresh off a three year, $34 million contract extension this offseason, Coker is well on his way to proving the Panthers right in paying him.
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Darren Waller has been getting the first team reps at practice and hit 20.8 mph on a route on Monday. The Panthers recently signed the 34 year old Waller after his 1.75 Yards Per Route Run (YPRR) ranked No. 8 in 2025. Waller’s athleticism is showcased by a 127.3 (90th percentile) Burst Score and 10.38 (97th percentile) Catch Radius, and he will serve as the No. 3 pass-catching option behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker for quarterback Bryce Young.
Monitor Carolina’s tight end usage in Week 1 before plugging Waller into fantasy lineups. Waller has been an ADP value for redraft leagues, especially TE-premium scoring formats. The Panthers offense will determine whether Waller is a fantasy staple or merely a match-up driven streaming fantasy football option. ~Jason Diaz
After coming off retirement to register 283 receiving yards and six touchdowns across nine games in Miami, Darren Waller brings a 131.6 Athleticism Score (100th percentile) and a 4.46 40-Yard Dash (100th percentile) to Carolina. Though he is much dustier now, Waller steps into a tight end room featuring Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and Ja’Tavion Sanders, and will immediately start commanding high-leverage red zone usage.
While age and injury history limit his full-season ceiling, his path to high-value targets renders him a viable late-round option in redraft formats. However, Waller’s true utility will be realized in best ball and tight end premium fantasy football formats.
Undrafted rookie Haynes King suffered a multi-week hamstring injury during Carolina’s Hall of Fame Game victory, halting his 53-man roster push despite showcasing his 100th-percentile 4.50 40-yard dash speed. This setback secures Kenny Pickett as the direct backup behind starter Bryce Young.
King can be left on dynasty superflex waiver wires and projects to land on the practice squad while the Panthers seek additional depth at quarterback.
Tetairoa McMillan fully cleared his spring foot issue just in time for training camp after commanding a 25.4% Target Share and 40.9% Air Yards Share in his award-winning 70-1,014-7 rookie campaign. Moving the 23-year-old into the slot—where he logged a mere 15.0% Slot Rate last season—creates mismatch nightmares against safeties and linebackers to unlock explosive, high-efficiency target volume.
Carolina’s anemic offense is all that is holding back McMillan in 2026. Fantasy drafters can fire him up with confidence as a high-floor second-year breakout candidate, though the upside is capped.
After Tetairoa McMillan posted a mere 15.0-percent Slot Rate in 2025, Wolfe insists that the Panthers plan to “double that, if not more.” McMillan will match up more against safeties and linebackers, which will boost his efficiency. This report also signals increased faith in Jalen Coker‘s ability to win outside.
After posting a PPR WR16 finish as a rookie, McMillan has added 8 to 10 pounds bolsters his frame to withstand contact over the middle. Enhanced slot usage should also increase his target share as McMillan positions himself for a career year in 2026. Though Carolina’s offense will make it difficult for him to break into the Top-12 WRs, McMillan is currently PlayerProfiler’s WR20 in most seasonal league formats.
