BryceYoung

News: 5 days agoYoung completed 21 of 38 passes for 185 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed three times for 18 yards in the Panthers' 16-13 loss to the Bears on Thursday night.

Spin: Young fell short of the 200-yard mark through the air for the second straight contest, and although he avoided turnovers after a three-interception tally Week 9, he still was mostly ineffective. The Panthers punted in six of their first seven possessions, and their longest march, a 15-play drive in the fourth quarter, ended in a missed would-be game-tying 59-yard field-goal attempt. Young will have an uphill battle trying to right the ship in a Week 11 home matchup against the Cowboys on Sunday, Nov. 19.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Young was selected by the Panthers with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL draft. The Alabama product's biggest knock is his slight frame (5'10", 204 lbs.), but he easily overcame it with the Crimson Tide, posting this QB class' best INT rate (1.3%) and off-target throw rate (8.3%) while producing 86 TDs in 27 starts. It's rare for rookie QBs to find themselves worthy of starting consideration in fantasy, with the exceptions highly productive with their legs. That's not expected to be the case for Young, an undersized pocket passer. Young's supporting cast has a ways to go, as well (DJ Chark and Adam Thielen are his top receivers), so this will be a building-block year for the 21-year-old. Young has big long-term upside, but expect fringe QB2 production in 2023.