The NFL regular season is 48 hours away, which means football fans and fantasy managers are paying extra close attention to various injuries around the league. What’s the latest on Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks?
The Latest on Jonathon Brooks’ Health
The Panthers are playing the long game with their rookie second-round pick. Brooks tore his ACL in November, and Carolina isn’t rushing to get him back on the field.
Brooks will remain on NFI into the regular season, which means he’ll miss at least the first four games of the regular season. The fact that the Panthers waited as long as they did is actually a good sign, as it means the team believed there was a chance he would be ready before the end of September.
With that said, Brooks hasn’t practiced this offseason, and his timetable to return remains unclear. Although early post-draft reports suggested Brooks would be available for training camp, he never came close to hitting that schedule.
Chuba Hubbard should remain Carolina’s lead back after rushing for 902 yards a year ago. Miles Sanders, whose contract kept him on the Panthers’ roster, is the club’s RB2.
Jason Katz’s Fantasy Outlook for Brooks
It’s easy to look at Brooks’ first two years at Texas and scoff at his lack of production. Well, that’s what happens when you play behind Bijan Robinson.
When Brooks got his chance as the lead back in his junior year, he excelled, rushing for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns on 187 carries. Brooks was so good that the Panthers didn’t hesitate to make him the RB1 of this year’s class despite his ongoing ACL recovery.
Brooks will miss at least the first four weeks of the season due to the ACL injury, and there’s uncertainty about when he’ll be back on the field.
Brooks carries an RB27 ADP, No. 80 overall. While this is reasonable, it’s challenging to draft him as your RB2 given the uncertainty of his early-season availability.
Brooks has the potential to be a valuable asset in the second half of the season, which is often more important for fantasy success. At the right price, he’s worth drafting, especially if you can weather his early absence.