There's One Major Fantasy Football Sleeper Hiding in the Panthers' Offense

When it comes to fantasy football sleepers, the Carolina Panthers have at least one on their roster ahead of the 2026 season.

According to Fantasy Sports On SI's Zachary Gephart, it is none other than wide receiver Jalen Coker, who we have routinely discussed as a breakout candidate.

Gephart points out Coker's status as the clear-cut No. 2 wide receiver in Carolina's offense, which will lead to big target and snap shares for the third-year wideout.

"Now entering 2026 as the Panthers’ WR2, Coker is positioned for the biggest season of his young career. His snap share was north of 80% in 2025, and that amount of playing time should signal a healthy workload for 2026. He’s also averaged 13.4 yards per reception across his two NFL seasons, giving him a relatively stable floor and big-play fantasy upside," Gephart wrote.

Coker's strong finish bolsters sleeper status

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) celebrates his score with fans during the second half. — Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coker missed the first six games of 2025 because of an injury, and he went on to post 394 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games, which averaged out to just 35.8 yards per, which isn't considered good fantasy production by any means.

However, it's clear Coker just needed some time to get going after such a lengthy absence and the Holy Cross product became more consistent as the season progressed.

Over his final seven games, Coker averaged 3.7 catches, 46.8 yards and .43 touchdowns per game in that span. If you take those averages and spread them out over 17 games, Coker finishes with 63 catches, 796 yards and seven touchdowns.

In full-point PPR formats, that comes out to 205.6 fantasy points, which would have been good enough for WR18 last season, which would make Coker a borderline WR2 option.

All of that and we didn't even mention Coker going nuclear in the playoffs with nine catches for 134 yards and one touchdown in a showing that might be the turning point in his career where he ascends to a borderline star.

Gephart points out that Coker is currently being drafted as WR55, so getting that kind of production (or anything close to it) from a late-round pick would amount to a massive steal for fantasy owners.

We fully expect hype to continue building for Coker, so he may not fly under the radar as much in August and early September as he is now, but he will still be a top-notch value option even if his ADP climbs a bit in the months to come.

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