Does Bryce Young’s second-half finish in 2024 qualify him as a perfect candidate for fantasy managers who like to wait on the position? We are hesitant about drafting Young this season, and currently do not have any shares of him in any best ball drafts. However, we need to consider a couple of factors when projecting Young’s fantasy outlook. First, was last year’s second-half resurgence an aberration or a sign of things to come? Second, how much stock do we put in the strong coaching record Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has with quarterbacks? Canales is credited within coaching circles for resurrecting the careers of both Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield.
In one of our fantasy takeaways articles, written in February, we identified Bryce Young as a potential breakout and late-round fantasy quarterback target. A crucial point identified in that piece was the Panthers’ need for upgrades at the wide receiver position.
Byrce Young Fantasy Outlook: Breakout Coming
Fantasy Football Profile: Bryce Young
2024 in Review
Bryce Young finished the 2024 season as the overall QB20, scoring 195 fantasy points. He passed for 2,403 yards with 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Young had an additional 249 rushing yards and posted another six scores.
In Week 8, he returned as the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback and was a different player. He graded out as a top-six fantasy quarterback. Young averaged 18.3 fantasy points per game with 15 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. On top of that, he had six rushing touchdowns, which we know is huge for fantasy quarterback production. To put that per-game average in perspective, his 18.3 weekly average would have been Bo Nix, last season’s QB11.
Further passing metrics showed, during the same stretch, among qualifying fantasy quarterbacks, Bryce Young was ranked top-12 in accurate throw rate. He was fifth in deep throw rate, behind only Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Anthony Richardson, and Jordan Love.
2025 Projection
Byrce is projected to score 263 fantasy points on 3,619 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. On the ground, he is forecasted for an additional 295 yards and four scores. Getting back to our point about the Panthers needing an upgrade at the wide receiver position, the addition of first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan checks a huge box. In Weeks 12-18, when Young was thriving, the Panthers ranked 13th in neutral passing rate, which pairs well with McMillan’s ability as Carolina’s alpha wide receiver.
McMillan himself is going off fantasy draft boards as a top 24 wide receiver, putting him in the WR2 category and an every-week starter in your lineups. If that is to hold, Young will need to be much better than his current QB22 ranking.
Bryce Young Fantasy Football ADP
As aforementioned, Bryce Young currently goes as WR22 with an overall ADP of 146. That puts him in the 12th round of fantasy drafts. Our hesitancy about drafting Young comes from the inconsistency in the fantasy rankings around the Panthers’ offense. If McMillan goes off draft boards as WR22, and running back Chuba Hubbard as RB18, then how can Young be a low-end QB2? The math does not add up in our opinion.
Here it is plain and simple: if you buy into the resurgence from week eight on, Bryce Young will flirt with QB1 numbers and be an absolute steal for fantasy managers this season. Keep in mind, if he does not, the fantasy community might be over-drafting Hubbard and McMillan.
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