Panthers @ Eagles
Final Score: Eagles 22, Panthers 16
Writer: Riley Blum
For the third straight game, the Panthers continued to punch above their weight and hang in against a better team. The Eagles got off to another slow start, once again failing to score in the first quarter. Both teams leaned on the run for much of the game, and the NFL’s leading rusher, Saquon Barkley, continued to roll posting another 124 yards on the ground in this one. The Panthers got the ball back at their own three-yard line with just under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, down by six. For a moment, it appeared they may take the lead on what looked like a deep touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Xavier Legette, but the ball hit the ground as Legette fell to the turf. The Panthers would go on to turn the ball over on downs, allowing the Eagles to kneel out the clock.
Three Up
- Saquon Barkley – Barkley added 124 rushing yards to his league-leading total, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. The Eagles even gave him a shot at a goal-line carry instead of going right to the tush push.
- Adam Thielen – Thielen led the Panthers across the board in receiving, totaling over 100 yards, and he was Young’s go-to guy on multiple third and fourth down conversions.
- Chuba Hubbard – Hubbard had his third game on the season with over 20 carries and posted over 20 PPR-points for fantasy managers. With Jonathan Brooks getting injured, Hubbard figures to see a heavy workload moving forward.
Three Down
- Xavier Legette – Legette had the second-most targets for the Panthers, but only caught two of them for 39 yards. He also could not hold on to a potential game-winning touchdown late in the game, though it was a difficult catch to make. The veteran Adam Thielen looks to be the team’s top target now.
- A.J. Brown – Brown led the Eagles in receiving yards but did not catch one of Jalen Hurts’ two touchdown passes. That’s going to lead to a poor fantasy outing when Hurts only attempts 21 passes for only 108 yards. The Eagles’ run-heavy offense continues to hold Brown back.
- Jonathan Brooks – Brooks went down with a noncontact injury to his knee on his only carry of the game. He was subsequently ruled out and is almost certainly done for the season.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: 19/34, 191 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 7 carries, 29 yards
Young played well enough to keep his team in the game, and I was impressed with how he used his legs to escape and extend plays. Despite being pressured often by this strong Eagles defense, Young was only sacked once. Thielen was his favorite target on the afternoon, routinely connecting with him on third and fourth downs to extend drives. Young did have an interception on a ball he sailed over Thielen, but he otherwise continues to look much improved. Young has some soft matchups down the stretch, but I wouldn’t trust him in one-quarterback formats.
Missed Opportunities
- Legette wasn’t able to hold on to the potential go-ahead touchdown late in the game.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: 26 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD, 5 targets, 4 receptions, 15 yards
Chuba Hubbard touched the ball 30 times this game, due in part to Brooks sustaining an injury. Hubbard’s final numbers don’t look very efficient, but the Panthers leaned on him and he routinely churned out positive gains. Hubbard did well fighting for extra yards and looked good against a tough defense. He scored on a one-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. With the Panthers’ other running backs banged up, I’d expect Hubbard to continue to see volume moving forward. With the Panthers’ offense trending up an appealing schedule moving forward, Hubbard should continue to produce as one of the best steals of this season.
Jonathan Brooks: 1 carry, -3 yards
Brooks sustained a non-contact injury on his only carry when he attempted to make a cut. The rookie is likely done for the season. Let’s all hope he is able to make a swift and full recovery.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Xavier Legette: 8 targets, 2 receptions, 39 yards
Legette did see the second-most targets on the team with eight, but he only managed to haul in two passes for 39 yards. Thielen looks to be Young’s favorite (just like last season), so Legette is more of a low-end WR3/FLEX play moving forward.
Missed Opportunities
- Legette could not manage to hold on to what would have been the go-ahead touchdown on a diving attempt. The long touchdown would have made his fantasy score much more palatable.
Adam Thielen: 11 targets, 9 receptions, 102 yards
Thielen was Young’s favorite target, leading the Panthers in receiving across the board. The veteran receiver provided the offense with a spark, helping to move the chains on third and fourth downs. This was a strong performance against a good secondary. If Thielen continues to see this type of target volume, he can be trusted as a low-end WR2 moving forward.
David Moore: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards
David Moore is too far down this passing attack’s pecking order to be trusted as a weekly fantasy starter.
Tommy Tremble: 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards, 1 TD
Tommy Tremble caught Young’s only touchdown pass of the game.
Ja’Tavion Sanders: 1 target
Ja’Tavion Sanders returned after a one-game absence due to a neck injury.
Deven Thompkins: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 14/21, 108 yards, 2 TD, 8 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD
Another low-volume passing game for Hurts with Barkley and the Eagles’ run game rolling. Hurts finished an efficient 14/21, but only managed to rack up 108 passing yards. However, he managed 59 rushing yards (including a big 35-yard run) and scored on another goal-line tush push. Along with throwing for two touchdowns, Hurts’ rushing production propelled him to a solid fantasy score. His rushing provides him with a reliable floor, but his ceiling is lowered when the game script doesn’t call for more passing.
Hurts and the Eagles continue to be slow starters, but get the job done. Hurts did take four sacks and had a few plays where he hesitated or made the wrong decision, but he played mostly mistake-free. With games against the Steelers and Commanders coming up, Hurts may be asked to more through the air and see more passing volume.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 20 carries, 124 yards, 1 target, Rush 2PT
Barkley continued his impressive campaign, adding to his league-leading rushing total, and surpassing LeSean McCoy for the most rushing yards by an Eagle in a single season. Barkley averaged over six yards per carry and had a number of explosive runs. He was tackled at the goal line again but was given a chance to punch in a touchdown before the Eagles turned to the tush push. He did manage to find the end zone on a two-point conversion, though. With four games remaining, Barkley has a legitimate chance at breaking the NFL record for rushing yards in a season. He should continue to be viewed as the RB1 in fantasy.
Missed Opportunities
- He was tackled at the goal line on back-to-back plays, leading to a tush-push touchdown for Hurts.
- Saquon ceded a few early carries to Kenneth Gainwell when he needed to have his pads checked on the sideline.
Kenneth Gainwell: 3 carries, 26 yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 7 yards
Gainwell continues to serve in a complementary role to Barkley. Gainwell did play the majority of plays in the two-minute drill to end the first half.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
A.J. Brown: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 43 yards
A.J. Brown led the team in receiving yards, but that was only good for 43 yards with Hurts throwing for 108 yards total. Brown continues to see an elite target share, but his ceiling and floor have both suffered with how good this Eagles rushing attack and defense have been. The Eagles do have tougher matchups in the next two weeks, facing the Steelers and Commanders, so that should mean more targets (and more output) for Brown. He is still one of the best receivers in the league, so you have to continue to start him.
Missed Opportunities
- Brown created separation on a few plays where Hurts hesitated to make the throw and scrambled.
- Brown was also open on the touchdown pass that went to DeVonta Smith.
DeVonta Smith: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 37 yards, 1 TD
Smith led the Eagles with six targets in his return following a two-game absence. He only managed 37 yards receiving, but he did catch a touchdown. It was good to see him used on designed plays like wide receiver screens, and with more difficult games in the coming weeks, Smith should be startable, especially with Dallas Goedert on IR.
Grant Calcaterra: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 16 yards, 1 TD
Grant Calcaterra caught a touchdown and will serve as the Eagles’ primary tight end with Goedert on IR. He’s more of a flyer for those desperate at tight end, or a budget-friendly option in DFS tournaments.
Jahan Dotson: 2 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
Johnny Wilson: 1 target