After four solid seasons in Philadelphia, Miles Sanders has taken his talent elsewhere as he sets up camp as the Carolina Panthers‘ RB1. With a smattering of injuries across his four years in the league, how do Sanders’ injuries affect his fantasy football potential?
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What Happened to Miles Sanders?
Sanders played an entire season last year, clocking the most rushing yards of his career with just under 1,300, topping it off with 11 TDs and the best fantasy finish of his career at RB13.
This year, before the preseason opener, Sanders tweaked his groin, and HC Frank Reich stated he would not play. Later Reich elaborated, saying Sanders may miss the rest of the preseason, and he hopes to have him in Week 1.
Injury: RB Miles Sanders suffered "a little bit of a tweak in his groin," unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Jets, per @CameronWolfe pic.twitter.com/xXDxJTBZqH
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 10, 2023
What Are Carolina’s Options if Sanders Misses Time?
If Sanders cannot play to start the regular season, you’re looking at a depth chart of Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown, and Camerun Peoples.
The Panthers should consider adding some depth, as Hubbard injured his ankle in the loss to the New York Giants in the second week of the preseason. It’s uncertain if Hubbard will join Sanders on the bench during the final week of the preseason.
What Does This Mean for Sanders’ Fantasy Ranking?
Even with Reich’s caginess, you can expect Sanders to be on the field in Week 1. Caution is apparent, but betting on Sanders in fantasy seems like a slam dunk with the depth chart behind him. He’s looking at a year where he could be a true workhorse back on a team with a coach who has made it clear he wants his RB to catch passes.
If you follow the money — the Panthers signed Sanders to a four-year, $25 million contract — you know Carolina has a plan for him to be crucial to their offense. And not just as a rusher but also as a pass catcher.
As the Panthers’ general manager Scott Fitterer said, “In Frank’s offense, the running back is a very important position, not only a guy that can run the ball but a guy that can catch the ball. And you couple that with having a rookie quarterback, you need a good running back. We think we have three that can really support a quarterback.”
Carolina’s offensive line is a clear downgrade from Philadelphia’s, but Sanders also loses the rushing QB in Jalen Hurts, who scored 13 rushing TDs last year, 11 of them from within the red zone. In Carolina, this should be Sanders territory.
Currently, our PFN consensus rankings have Miles Sanders as RB18. He could be a steal at his draft capital, currently going at the 5.02, according to Sleeper.