Bryce Young Fantasy Football Outlook (2026)

By Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros), Fri, Jun 5th 2026, 10:17am EDT

Although the Panthers have picked up the fifth-year option on Bryce Young, this still seems like a crossroads season for the former No. 1 overall draft pick. Young has taken small steps forward in his three seasons as the Panthers' starter, but perhaps not enough to secure his status as Carolina's long-term starter. He hit career highs last season in passing yards 3,011, TD passes (23) and completion percentage (63.6%), while reaching a career low in sack rate (5.4%). But Young averaged just 188.2 passing yards per game and 6.3 yards per pass attempt last season. It sometimes seemed as if Panthers head coach Dave Canales was trying to hide his quarterback, with Young attempting 25 or fewer passes in half of his 16 starts. Young's finishes in fantasy points per game (nine games minimum) in his three years with the Panthers: QB29, QB23, QB24. It's hard to see Young as anything but a backup in superflex leagues or extremely deep 1QB leagues.