Welcome to Week 3 of the 2026 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: Which receiver off to a hot start will most likely retain his starter status throughout the season? Which one will likely fade from starter value?
Corey Spala: I believe Jalen Coker will retain value. You can argue Coker is Carolina's WR1. Tetairoa McMillan is a tremendous talent, but he has 40 targets to Coker's 43 over the last 7 games. Coker is averaging 15.5 PPR points per game while McMillan is averaging 9.3 points per game. Bryce Young is commanding the offense, and I don't see why Coker won't remain an integral part moving forward.
I believe Devaughn Vele will fade from starter value. Jordyn Tyson is expected back in Week 5 and will provide much-needed depth. Vele has played 91 percent and 96 percent of snaps in two weeks with a route rate of 92.1 percent and 92.3 percent.
Vele is seeing more involvement than Kalif Raymond, who is splitting time with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. Each wide receiver will have a role, and teams can scheme plays to create first looks. Vele certainly will have a role like Raymond; I just am unsure he can sustain the high snap and route rates when Tyson returns.
Tyson is arguably the best rookie wide receiver and should take on the WR2 role, or WR1B, to Olave. Tyler Shough has the second most passing attempts through two games. The offense can certainly spread the ball around, but with an upgrade in Tyson's talent, I don't see Vele consistently performing as the season progresses.
Meng Song: It's only been two games, but I think the Jalen Coker experiment might be for real. Through Week 2, Coker has seen 19 targets to 18 for Tetairoa McMillan. And while Darren Waller scored 2 touchdowns against Atlanta, Coker and McMillan each saw 3 targets inside the 10-yard line.
Looking back, preseason fantasy ADP appears to have been overly confident in McMillan as Carolina's clear No. 1 wide receiver. It now seems pretty apparent that the Panthers view McMillan and Coker more as the 1A and 1B. Coker could easily retain his fantasy starter status all season and finish as a top-30 wide receiver, perhaps even higher.
On the flip side, Kalif Raymond seems most likely to fade from fantasy starter status. Seeing a team-high nine targets against the Panthers to open the season was an anomaly.
We already saw in Week 2 that the Bears' offense will likely spread target share differently based on matchup, with Luther Burden III leading the team in targets against the Vikings. Raymond is a great complementary piece who's comfortable in Ben Johnson's scheme, but it's hard to see him producing consistently in fantasy going forward.