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Fantasy football managers are always on the lookout for that hidden gem who could emerge from the waiver wire to save their season. Carolina Panthers receiver Jalen Coker represents exactly that type of intriguing stash candidate, especially when we reach the crucial stretch of the fantasy football playoffs.
While the second-year wideout has been sidelined with an injury that kept him out of action early in the season, recent reports suggest his return could be imminent. The timing couldn’t be better for fantasy football enthusiasts looking to bolster their rosters for the meat of the fantasy season.
Jalen Coker Injury Update
The Carolina Panthers placed Jalen Coker on IR due to a quad injury he suffered during practice the last Thursday in August. According to Joe Person of The Athletic, he is making progress but is still considered “week-to-week.”
The Panthers still aren’t consistently having any fantasy production out of their receivers on a week-to-week basis outside of rookie Tetairoa McMillan. So far this season, the former Arizona Wildcat has accounted for 18 catches for a team-leading 278 yards, averaging 15.4 yards per reception.
The second-best receiver for QB Bryce Young behind McMillan is Brycen Tremayne, who has caught just eight passes for 99 yards, so there is certainly room for Coker to emerge as a playmaker.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Nicolas Curry
Coker Fantasy Outlook
I was excited about Coker early in the draft process this summer, thinking that the second-year receiver had a real chance to earn meaningful targets in a developing offense. That optimism grew after the Adam Thielen trade, but a day later, a “significant quad injury” landed him on IR.
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 5 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
That means Coker has missed the required time, but reporting out of Carolina during this process seemed to point to mid-October as the most likely return date. I still believe there’s something in this profile, especially with Xavier Legette struggling and banged up.
If you have room at the end of your bench, I think this is a reasonable stashing option, if for no other reason than Carolina getting New Orleans and Tampa Bay in Weeks 15-16. This isn’t a high waiver priority sort of add, but if it costs you nothing, there’s more potential to chase than the last player on many rosters currently have access to.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
