Busts on the Carolina Panthers

Busts can ruin your fantasy team's drive to a championship. Our staff searches for them on the Panthers.

Footballguys Staff's Busts on the Carolina Panthers Footballguys Staff Published 07/02/2025

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As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will examine one team per weekday with our quick-hitting Team Sleepers feature. These players might not be complete busts, but we will be highlighting players our staff thinks will disappoint this year and underperform their average draft position (ADP).

Go Deeper: See in-depth projections for every Panthers player here >>>

This is a weekday series that will stretch through August 1. If you like this and want another, come back the next workday. Another will be here.

Please note that our staff has identified the players listed below. The official Footballguys stance for every Panther can be found on our projections page.

Busts on the Carolina Panthers

Reasons WR Adam Thielen Could Be a Bust

  • Jeff Bell: We all love Thielen's story, but at age 35, reaching a WR65 ADP would be a disappointing outcome, considering the franchise's investments in young receivers. 
  • Jeff Haseley: With the addition of McMillan, Thielen's usage will likely drop off, making him a less attractive option for your starting lineup.
  • Mauricio Gutierrez: Time catches up with nearly everyone. The addition of Tetairoa McMillan likely blocks any path to meaningful production this season. 
  • Phil Alexander: He should outperform his ADP, but not meaningfully. Likely to end the year as the Panthers' WR3. If that doesn't sound helpful, it's because it's not.
  • David Zacharias: Thielen's role may be more as a young receiver mentor than a WR4 producer.
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