Bryce Young Is A Sneaky Late-Round Quarterback To Target In 2025 Fantasy Football

Bryce Young’s late-season surge and upgraded weapons in Carolina make him a sneaky QB2 target in 2025 fantasy football drafts.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Young came to the NFL via the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft while checking in with below-par size (5’10” and 205 lbs.). His foundation in reads, pocket presence, and playability offset his questionable arm. 

The Panthers will utilize him as a pocket passer, aiming to exploit his quick release and understanding of route developments through timing routes. Young can make plays with his legs, helping him avoid sacks and move the chains.

Over his final two seasons at Alabama, Young completed 65.9% of his passes for 8,200 yards with 79 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He posted his best season in 2021 (4,782/50) while showing growth as a runner (49/185/4) the following year.

Young has a grip and rip-it feel after the snap, but sometimes he doesn’t throw a crisp ball. His passes do have more carry downfield than they appear after his release. Young played with top receiving talent at Alabama behind a winning offensive line. His completion window will be smaller in the NFL, and his playground style when the pocket breaks down will lead to fewer big plays.

In his rookie season, Young went 2-14 with only two games of value (247/3 and 329/2). He passed for fewer than 200 yards in 11 matchups, including nine of his final 10 starts (56.7% completion rate over this span). When asked to run, Young gained 6.5 yards per carry (30/253). An ankle issue cost him one game early in the season.

Young struggled in his first two games (161/0 and 84/0), leading to Carolina benching him over the next five games. Over his last 10 starts, he averaged 210 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while being a more active runner (37/223/5). Young averaged 21.78 FPPG in four-point passing touchdowns leagues, which would rank in the top 10 at quarterback if repeated for 17 games. His highlight game came in Week 18 (275 combined yards with five touchdowns).

Bryce Young 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook, Projections, Ranking

Young’s growth over his final six starts last year added to an upgrade at wide receiver (Tetairoa McMillan) in this year’s draft class, suggesting a more attractive QB2 in fantasy leagues. He ranks 24th at quarterback this summer. Last year, the Panthers had success getting their wide receivers (210/2,453/18 on 339 targets) involved, which sets the foundation of their passing attack.

Young is currently the QB22 in our 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings.