Fantasy Names to Care About for the 2026 Panthers

There have been five examples in NFL history of a division winner having a losing record. All five have been NFC teams. Three of the five have been NFC South teams. Two of the five — including last year’s — were the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have as many division titles with a losing record in the last 17 years as they do division titles with a winning record. Flags fly forever, but that’s an ignominious fact. So can they win the division in 2026? And — somehow just as big a question — if they do, can they win more games than they lose?

2026 Sleepers, Busts & Bold Predictions: Carolina Panthers

Sleeper: Jonathon Brooks

A year ago, after jettisoning Miles Sanders, the Panthers added Rico Dowdle in free agency, needing some kind of running mate for Chuba Hubbard. This offseason, after Dowdle left, they brought in AJ Dillon. No shade to Dillon, but at this point he doesn’t have 10% of the upside of Dowdle. Why would the Panthers not get a back to work alongside Hubbard like they did a year ago? My hypothesis: A year ago, they knew Jonathon Brooks — the first running back drafted in 2024 — would miss the season recovering from an ACL tear. This offseason, they proceeded as though Brooks would be able to play and acted accordingly. That means no one needed to come in to replace Dowdle, because the replacement was already there. And after every good-efficiency number Hubbard put up in 2024 regressed in a monster way last year, that No. 2 RB is going to get a lot to do.

Bust: Chuba Hubbard

Speaking of Hubbard …

• By DVOA, he went from +12.2% in 2024 to -5.6% in 2025.
• By yards after contact per attempt, he went from 3.0 in 2024 to 2.0 in 2025.
• By explosive run rate, he went from 10.4% in 2024 to 6.0% in 2025.
• By broken tackle rate, he went from 20.0% in 2024 to 12.7% in 2025.
• Heck, just by yards per carry, he went from 4.8 in 2024 to 3.8 in 2025.

All numbers per FTN Stats & Charting. You want to say he battled injury in 2025, I won’t argue, but he’s still a fourth-round pick who was never supposed to be a starter and has only one season of strong performance. He’s available in the top 25 of running backs in early ADP. I’d take Brooks over Hubbard.

Bold Prediction: The Panthers Pick in the Top 5 in 2027

Tetaiora McMillan is a very good player. But he might be the only one on the offense, especially with Ikem Ekwonu out for some or all of the season with a torn patellar tendon. Bryce Young’s resume of success is all of a handful of games sporadically spread throughout some much worse ones. Hubbard, we covered above. Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders combined for 439 yards and 3 touchdowns last year. The offensive line is above average, even without Ikwonu, but it’s not much better than that. The defense in Carolina has improved with the arrivals of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, but in the aggregate it’s still top-heavy after those two and Derrick Brown. The Panthers won the division in 2025. They’re far more likely to finish in last in 2026.