Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, entering his fourth professional season, did not achieve the significant fantasy football progress many anticipated last year, even though he guided his team to an NFC South division championship. In 2025, he reached personal bests, completing 63.6% of his passes for 3,011 yards and throwing 23 touchdowns; however, the underlying statistics indicate a restricted fantasy ceiling.
A major concern is his notable deficiency in vertical passing and rushing contributions. His average depth of target on completed passes was among the lowest in the league at 4.8 yards, and the Panthers' strategy occasionally minimized his involvement, as he exceeded 225 passing yards in only three games. Furthermore, the anticipated rushing foundation, which many hoped would emerge, has not materialized.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the Panthers' offensive strategy under head coach Dave Canales is expected to remain heavily focused on the run game. Although receiver Tetairoa McMillan provides Young with a primary target alongside promising younger players like Jalen Coker, the overall passing volume is insufficient to ensure consistent fantasy upside. Consequently, his performance is predicted to fluctuate, featuring occasional strong weeks interspersed with disappointing outings, making him a challenging player to manage in fantasy rosters, stream, or acquire cheaply in daily fantasy sports. Given this unpredictability and low base volume, Young is considered no more than a lower-tier QB2 for the season. While he is steadily growing into a capable NFL starter in real life, there is no compelling reason to select him in standard single-quarterback redraft leagues. He should only be considered as a matchup-dependent streaming option or a supplementary player in Superflex leagues, depending on team composition.
While his ongoing development is encouraging and might lead the Panthers to designate him as their future franchise quarterback, this progress has not yet significantly impacted his fantasy relevance. Although I believe he can support a strong second season for McMillan, I do not foresee him making a substantial overall impact in our game otherwise.
