Panthers @ Packers
Final Score: Packers 27, Panthers 19
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
Three Up
- Chuba Hubbard — Despite a negative game script, Hubbard crushed it for his fantasy managers
- Jordan Love — Continued his streak of playing good enough in real life and excellent in fantasy
- Christian Watson — Not even a trip to the local hospital could stop Watson from having a monster game on Halloween weekend.
Two Down
- Bryce Young — Dude was under DURESS the entire game, and it showed in his performance.
- Jalen Coker— A non-factor for most of the game, he salvaged his fantasy week with a massive YAC catch and score.
- Marshawn Lloyd — The Packers have basically left their former backfield leader for dead now that Jacobs is back in action.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: 23/41, 209 Yards, TD, INT
Young was under constant pressure and rarely had a clean pocket to throw from. It showed in the box score, as he went the entire game without completing a pass more than 10 yards downfield. Most of his completions were on hot routes underneath, adjusting the play at the line or pulling the ball and throwing on an RPO style play. It was a brutal game to watch for Bryce Young fantasy managers and they’ll have to hope that the Panthers can patch up their offensive line quickly to keep their quarterback clean going forward.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: 22 carries, 81 yards | 8 targets, 7 receptions, 38 Yards
Trevor Etienne: 1 carry, 1 yard
Chuba Hubbard has been one of the pleasant surprises of the fantasy season. It’s crazy that the guy who practically lost his job last season to a guy who can’t win the backfield in Pittsburgh is able to take over the backfield in Carolina without anything else really changing. Hubbard has stayed healthy, received elite volume and usage, and converted that into strong fantasy production. Despite averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry, Hubbard was a reliable check-down option for Young out of the backfield as the Packers pass rush swarmed. He remains an elite option at running back in all formats, especially PPR.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tetaroia McMillan: 11 targets, 6 receptions, 58 yards
Mitchell Evans: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards
Jalen Coker: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 36 yards, TD
Darren Waller: 2 targets, 1 reception, 11 Yards
John Metchie III: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 14 yards
Tommy Tremble: 3 targets, 1 reception, 19 yards
With no time in the pocket, Young had a hard time making anything happen in the passing game, but the Panthers made things work as best they could. McMillan was the recipient of several quick-hitters, catching the ball in the slot on four-yard hitch routes when Young needed a quick outlet. Coker had the highlight of the night with a 26-yard catch and run for a score. It marked the team’s longest completion of the night with 17 of those yards coming on the run after the catch. If McMillan and Coker are to remain fantasy relevant, they’ll need Young to either have more time in the pocket or a gameplan that allows the quarterback to move and create time for himself. This dink and dunk approach is not great for fantasy.
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 30/41, 288 Yards, 3 TDs, INT
It’s been a wild transition in Green Bay as Matt LaFleur has gone from one of the run-heaviest coaches in the league to one of the most trusting in his quarterback to sling the ball around the yard. Even with the return of Josh Jacobs, LaFleur has shown faith in Jordan Love to move the offense down the field, taking advantage of an embarrassment of riches in the pass-catching department. Love looked really good on Thursday night aside from one bad fourth quarter decision where he threw a bad ball into a bad situation for a red zone pick. Even while missing his top weapon for a large part of the game, Love appeared comfortable and in command of an offense that continues to provide explosive plays on the regular. He’s a top-12 option going forward this season until further notice.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: 21 Carries, 39 Yards, TD | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 13 Yards, TD
MarShawn Lloyd: 3 Carries, 7 Yards | 1 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Pierre Strong Jr.: 1 Carries, 2 Yards
Volume for Jacobs was outstanding, as was red zone usage. But man, he was as inefficient as ever just barely topping 2.0 yards per touch on Thursday night. Granted, he got all the high-leverage opportunities, but he was not as dynamic as fantasy managers would like for him to be.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Christian Watson: 10 Targets, 8 Receptions, 113 Yards
Watson hit the century mark in the first half, but on a massive reception he landed funny on the football and was taken off the field, placed in an ambulance and rushed to the hospital to look for what I can only assume was a potentially broken rib, collapsed lung or some other sort of internal injury that required advanced imaging. Miraculously, Watson returned to Lambeau Field and was back on the field late in the game after his brief hospital stay. Nobody is allowed to call Watson “soft” or “injury-prone” from now on.
Matthew Golden: 13 Targets, 7 Receptions, 79 Yards, TD
With Watson out of the lineup for most of the game, Golden became the primary target for Love and benefitted with several consecutive targets in the red zone. Golden dropped a sure touchdown on one play and was immediately targeted for a touchdown on the next throw (which he caught). He’s gaining the team’s trust and continues to carve out a WR1b role alongside Watson in this pass-happy offense.
Tucker Kraft: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 53 Yards, TD
With a touchdown catch in a second-consecutive game, Kraft is looking healthier by the week. In a positional landscape as volatile as any across the NFL, Kraft remains one of the few consistently elite options at tight end.
Savion Williams: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards | 1 Carry, 18 Yards
J. Michael Sturdivant: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
With Watson sidelined, Sturdivant saw consistent snaps but not a lot of looks in the pass game. He appears to be Watson’s direct backup.