Fantasy Upside
Coming off his first Pro Bowl, Miles Sanders landed a new contract with the new-look Carolina Panthers. He finished last season with 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, though his targets were down to a career-low 26. Sanders has been able to contribute in the passing game in the past, however, catching 50 balls during his rookie year back in 2019. The Panthers have an emerging offensive line and an experienced coaching staff, so Sanders has the potential to continue his quality play in his new uniform. At just 26 years old, Sanders should be right in the middle of his prime.
Fantasy Downside
There is so much uncertainty about this Carolina offense, it’s hard to know what’s going to happen. Nearly all the skill position players and the coaching staff are new to the team, and we don’t know how much holdover Chuba Hubbard is going to eat into Sanders’ touches. We know Frank Reich had no reservations about giving Jonathan Taylor a full workload in Indianapolis, but Hubbard was basically the 1b to D’Onta Foreman’s 1a - or switch them if you prefer - after Christian McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers last year. Hubbard is unlikely to be relegated to complete obscurity.
2023 Bottom Line
Sanders is ranked as a solid RB2 going into the season and his ADP is right in line with that expectation. You can get him in the late-fifth round in 12-team redraft leagues, and that sounds like appropriate value. Sanders’ contract means he’s likely to be the primary back. Even if that ends up being a timeshare with Hubbard, he should still have no trouble reaching double-digit touches on a weekly basis.