AdamThielen

News: 2 days agoThielen brought in two of three targets for 20 yards in the Panthers' 26-3 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

Spin: Thielen's line was wholly uninspiring, but considering Bryce Young threw for only 84 yards overall, the wideout's yardage total actually qualified as the second highest on the Panthers for the afternoon. Like fellow accomplished veteran receiver Diontae Johnson, Thielen's fantasy value is significantly hampered by Young's shortcomings at the moment, and there's little reason to believe that will change in a Week 3 road matchup against the Raiders.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Thielen is entering his 11th NFL season (second in Carolina) after a surprising rebound campaign in 2023 in which he cleared both 100 receptions and 1,000 yards. Thielen benefited from heavy usage as Bryce Young's only reliable target, ranking third among WRs in routes (605), 17th in target share (25%) and ninth in receptions (103). Thielen played well (his 76% catch rate ranked third) and ended up 17th at the position in fantasy points despite Carolina's overall offensive struggles. Thielen is likely headed for a step back in 2024, however, as he's now 34 years old and has substantially more competition for targets (Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette). Thielen should be valued as a low-ceiling flex option.