Jalen Coker's Fantasy Football Value Rises In The Wake Of The Adam Thielen Trade

Panthers WR Jalen Coker is a rising fantasy football sleeper for 2025 after showing playmaking upside as a rookie and earning a bigger role in Carolina’s offense following the Adam Thielen trade.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) with the ball in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jalen Coker quickly proved he belonged in the NFL after joining the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2024, flashing big-play ability and producing multiple fantasy-relevant games. With Adam Thielen gone and Carolina’s receiving corps reshaped, Coker is positioned to carve out a steady role in three-wide sets heading into 2025.

Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers

As an undrafted free agent signing in 2024, Coker gave the Panthers winning stats off the bench, with his opportunity helped by the Adam Thielen injury. He surprised the fantasy market in his second career game (4/68) in Week 5 while also offering playable stats in three other contests (4/78/1, 4/110/1, and 7/62). Coker missed three contests after Carolina’s bye week with a quad injury. He gained 20 yards or more on six of his 32 catches (18.8%).

Over three seasons at Holy Cross, Coker caught 163 passes for 2,684 yards and 31 touchdowns, highlighted by his growth in 2023 (59/1,040/15). At 6’3” and 215 lbs., he has the hands and size to win at the goal line while also having a reasonable floor in his route running. His 40-yard time (4.57) is well below the top wide receivers in the NFL, but falls in a winning range for his height profile. He must improve his release vs. press coverage and fine-tune his movements within and out of breaks on his pass patterns.

Jalen Coker 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook, Projections, Ranking

A player making the jump from Holy Cross to the NFL with early success in his career should be respected. His first goal in 2025 is earning WR3 snaps, which Coker achieved last year due to an injury to Adam Thielen, along with Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo playing their way off the Panthers’ roster midseason.

Now that Adam Thielen has been moved to the Minnesota Vikings, Coker should be on the field in three-receiver sets with Tet McMillan and Xavier Legette. Coker has been rising this preseason and is currently the WR71 in our 2025 PPR Rankings and the WR72 in Non-PPR formats. And if Legette or McMillan get injured, Coker could prove to be Bryce Young's go-to weapon by midseason.