Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 27, 2026, 1:00 PM ET
Location: Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, OH
Network: FOX
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: START (in Superflex), Borderline QB1
Ok, Bryce Young. I see you even if you can’t see over your offensive line. Make that two games with three passing touchdowns to open the 2026 season, and it’s time we start taking Young seriously as a fantasy option. I’m not ready to declare him a weekly QB1 yet, but he’s an easy plug-and-play in Superflex while he’s this 🔥en fuego🔥. And against the Browns, who allowed 4 TD passes to Trevor Lawrence in Week 1? I’m willing to take that chance.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: START, RB2
Jonathon Brooks: OUT (IR)
AJ Dillon: SIT
Jonathan Brooks is like “Drinking Around the World” at EPCOT. It sounds like such a no-brainer, but a couple of countries in, you’re broke, empty-handed, and scrambling to find a bathroom, and then all of a sudden you wake up in the hospital. Ugh. The injury to Brooks means that Chuba Hubbard once again finds himself in line for a hefty volume, placing him in RB2 land for the foreseeable future. AJ Dillon has quads you could eat Thanksgiving dinner off of.
Wide Receiver
Tetairoa McMillan: START, WR2
Jalen Coker: START, WR2
Xavier Legette: SIT
The only thing that could slow down the hot start for Jalen Coker seems to be an ankle injury. Coker caught eight of nine targets for the second straight game, although he didn’t get into the end zone and only had roughly half of his 138 receiving yards from Week 1. Tetairoa McMillan led the way with 10 targets, catching 10 for 101 yards and would see a potential value bump if Coker were unable to go. It’s unclear how long Young’s red-hot start will continue, but while he’s slangin’ that thang, Tet and Coker are both solid WR2s in my eyes.
Tight End
Darren Waller: SIT
Two touchdowns on three targets? Yeahnothx. Touchdowns generally aren’t predictable, but with the way Carolina is using Waller, it seems like he’ll either return solid streaming value with a TD (or two) or give you a bona fide stinker. I’d rather look elsewhere.
Defense/Special Teams
Carolina Panthers: STREAMER
Despite playing better in Week 2, Deshaun Watson remains a target when looking for streaming defense options.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Deshaun Watson: SIT
Deshaun Watson played much better football in Week 2, but that’s not saying a whole lot. Watson tossed two touchdowns, but still fell short of 250 passing yards against a hapless Tampa defense. He’s not a starting option in any format.
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins: START, RB2
Yeah, starting a running back with a sub-2.3 yards per carry is generally not something I’d recommend. But against the Panthers, I’d start my three-year-old daughter if she was getting 10 carries (she’d at least have one explosive run). Carolina is allowing a league-high 224 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns per game. Sometimes, fantasy football is that simple. I apologize in advance for jinxing Judkins with that last line.
Wide Receiver
Denzel Boston: FLEX, WR4
KC Concepcion Jr: FLEX, WR4
Jerry Jeudy: SIT
I received this text from my guy Mike Talas over at FTN Network, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Pay no mind to the number of unread text messages.
Especially after seeing this:
Rookie Denzel Boston goes 55 yards for the TD!
CLEvsTB on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/nmkRtJNhIv— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
And he’s 100% right. Mike has been touting Denzel Boston as long as I can remember, and one of the main reasons I fell in love with the talent. I’m aggravated with myself that landing on the Browns kept me from drafting more shares of the freak athlete, but then again, it’s the Browns. But I’m standing pat on where I’ve been ranking both Boston and KC Concepcion: FLEX plays with Boston the upside play and Concepcion the higher-floor, lower-ceiling start. The Panthers have been thrashed on the ground, and there’s a good chance Cleveland won’t have to throw the ball a ton to move it. But as we saw in Week 2 (and Week 1!), Boston can take one catch and turn it into a house call.
Tight End
Harold Fannin Jr: STREAMER
Harold Fannin Jr. is in danger of sliding into the slimy, slightly above-average grouping known as tHe gLoB. He should get a respectable number of targets; it’s just that those targets likely won’t be very far downfield.
Defense/Special Teams
Cleveland Browns: SIT
Allowing nearly 27 points per game and forcing one turnover in two games is not a recipe for a starting fantasy defense.