The Carolina Panthers took just one fantasy-relevant player in the 2026 NFL Draft. That was deep threat, Chris Brazzell II out of Tennessee. While the Volunteers have a reputation for running a fake offense, Chris Brazzell has enough measurables to make him intriguing in the NFL. Does he have fantasy football relevance in 2026?
Round 3, Pick 83 Overall: Chris Brazzell II, WR
TALENT
Brazzell is a size freak, and not in a good way. At 6’4” and 198 pounds, he’s poised to be the first wide receiver to play this millennium at 6’4” or taller and at under 200 pounds. He’s also fast as all get out, posting a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He plays up to that speed, too, as he destroys his defenders deep if they try to press him, and he snaps off his routes for comebacks or breakers when they try to play off of him. He also has an exceptional ability to high-point the ball and good body control to make 50/50 balls his.
That is to say: he uses his speed and size exceptionally well, and isn’t just a straight line runner like Tyquan Thornton or Jalin Hyatt.
That having been said, Brazzell has a lot of problems. He isn’t a complete receiver, as he gets bullied underneath (obviously, he’s built like Slenderman), and he has a lot of focus drops and plays where he just doesn’t try. He also gets destroyed at the line of scrimmage if you can get your hands on him. He will have a role in an offense, but outside of DFS or Best Ball tournaments, I can’t see myself feeling good about starting Brazzell in his rookie season.
NFL Comparison: Christian Watson
Draft Grade: 3rd Round
2026 OPPORTUNITY
The Carolina Panthers were missing a deep threat from their 2025 receiver corps. Bryce Young only threw it 20+ yards downfield 40 times last season, which ranked twenty-second. But, he was third in catchable deep ball rate (per PlayerProfiler.com), and per FantasyPoints’ Data Suite, he carried the fourth-highest adjusted completion percentage (to account for drops, hits while thrown, and throwaways), and the eighth-highest accuracy rate on these passes, while the Panthers’ receivers had a 10% drop rate (sixth-highest). That is to say: Young can uncork it, but the receivers downfield couldn’t reliably bring it in, leading to the seventh-most dropped yards on deep passes on the season. So, there is a portion of the offense that Brazzell can unlock, as guys like Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are better served in the short and intermediate range.
The Panthers likely saw the same thing in their offense last season, which is why they went out and got Brazzell on day two. Given the drop rate among the incumbent receivers on the roster, Brazzell likely gets the deep opportunities to produce, and he should be able to build a rapport with Bryce Young, who was desperately seeking someone to actually catch his deep passes last season.
2026 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I’m not entirely convinced that Brazzell will find enough targets this season without an injury to one of the two primary receivers in Carolina. The Panthers threw the ball at a bottom-ten rate last season, and only about 8% of those passes traveled 20+ yards downfield. He has big play appeal in best ball leagues, and he is a third-round click for me in dynasty rookie drafts, but I’m not drafting him in regular redraft leagues. He could find his way to your roster with a Coker slippage or McMillan injury, but those are reasons to keep him in mind in October, not reasons to put him on your roster in August.
