Fantasy football analyst sees Tetairoa McMillan stock rising in coming weeks

By NFL standards, Tetairoa McMillan's debut last week for the Carolina Panthers was solid. He couldn't bring in the big target he saw, had one erased by a penalty, another interrupted by a DPI, and overall didn't come down with four of his nine targets. Some of that was errant play by the quarterback, though.

He still caught five passes for 68 yards in his first game, which was solid PPR production for fantasy football, which is where one insider believes he's destined for so much more as the season continues to progress. Week 1 was solid, but the sky is the limit.

"McMillan carved out significant volume in his NFL debut. He saw nine targets from Bryce Young and is the day one WR1 for the Panthers offense. McMillan showed off his versatile skillset and had frequent wins versus press looks," SI's Ethen Hutton said.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) runs off the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's a good chance Dave Canales will "open the playbook" for Bryce Young, which means a "gradual increase" in deep targets for McMillan. "[He] will continue to increase his fantasy stock in coming weeks," Hutton said. Rookies tend to get better as they get more comfortable in the NFL, although McMillan looks right at home already.

On the other hand, Hutton noted, "McMillan also presents the potential for week-to-week volatility in a lackluster Panthers offense. As Carolina’s offense finds its footing, McMillan should find greater consistency in production."

McMillan was solid in his debut and should be again this week despite a challenging matchup with rookie cornerback Will Johnson. However, as the season goes on, he should see more volume, and the offense around him should get better, so he can succeed regardless of the matchup.

But even in a dismal debut for virtually everyone, McMillan was a bright spot, and that's valuable for fantasy. Even when his offense is terrible, he can still get some decent value. 12 points in PPR is nothing to sneeze at, and it could only go up from there.

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