The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Week 2 matchup between the Panthers and Chargers.
Find a breakdown of every Week 2 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| LA Chargers | Rank | @ | Carolina | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -6.5 | Spread | 6.5 | ||
| 23.0 | Implied Total | 16.5 | ||
| 22.0 | 16 | Points/Gm | 10.0 | 28 |
| 10.0 | 2 | Points All./Gm | 47.0 | 32 |
| 54.0 | 24 | Plays/Gm | 55.0 | 23 |
| 59.0 | 14 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 62.0 | 21 |
| 5.9 | 11 | Off. Yards/Play | 3.5 | 29 |
| 5 | 13 | Def. Yards/Play | 6.1 | 26 |
| 50.00% | 14 | Rush% | 36.36% | 26 |
| 50.00% | 19 | Pass% | 63.64% | 7 |
| 37.29% | 8 | Opp. Rush % | 59.68% | 30 |
| 62.71% | 25 | Opp. Pass % | 40.32% | 3 |
- Carolina was a league-worst 1 of 10 (10%) on third down in Week 1.
- Just 47.8% of the Carolina set of downs resulted in a new first down or touchdown, the lowest rate for a team in Week 1.
- Just 52.4% of the Charger set of downs resulted in a new first down or touchdown, 30th in the league in Week 1.
- Bryce Young had the highest rate of inaccurate pass attempts (23.3%) in Week 1.
- 25.0% of Justin Herbert’s dropbacks resulted in a loss of 1.0 EPA or worse, 30th in the league in Week 1.
- Carolina allowed a league-high 36.0% of dropbacks to result in a play of 1.0 EPA or more in Week 1.
- The Panthers were the only team without a run of 10 or more yards in Week 1.
Trust = spike production for that player
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: Week 1 was as expected for the Charger passing game under Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman.
Herbert ended up closing the week as QB23 (10.4 points).
The Chargers were 21st in the league in Week 1 dropback rate (51.9%) while ranking 24th in offensive snaps.
That cocktail created 28 dropbacks for Herbert in Week 1, which was 25th in the league.
He ended up passing for only 144 yards (28th) and 5.5 yards per pass attempt (24th).
Herbert is a floor-based QB2 as a caretaker in this offense.
If you are using Herbert as your QB2 in 2QB formats, this Carolina defense was even softer than they were a year ago.
Carolina was eviscerated by Derek Carr in Week 1, allowing 20.0 passing points. That was 31st in the league.
The Panthers created no disruption, finishing 31st in pressure rate (16.0%).
They created just 2 pressures on 11 blitzes in Week 1.
The Raiders were able to pressure Herbert on 32.1% of his dropbacks last week.
Bryce Young: Things could not have gone any worse for Young to open his second season.
With hope based on added skill players, interior linemen, and Dave Canales, Young looked the same as where we left off during his rookie season.
This offense was completely overwhelmed in the opener.
Young ended Week 1 completing just 13 of 30 (43.3%) passes, the lowest rate in the league.
He averaged 5.4 yards per pass attempt (25th), and only Bo Nix averaged fewer passer points per attempt than Young (0.081) in Week 1.
After struggling to push the ball during his rookie season, Young was 5 of 16 (31.35) with 2 interceptions on throws 10 yards or further downfield.
It was on the road against a New Orleans defense that is better than given credit for, but Carolina and Young will need to show something before handling Young as more than a back-end QB2.
The Chargers were 18th in passing points allowed per attempt (0.372) to Gardner Minshew in Week 1, so we are looking for significant improvement for Young in Week 2.
Running Back
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More Week 2 Fantasy Breakdowns From The Worksheet:
| Matchup | Time |
|---|---|
| Bills @ Dolphins -- FREE | Thursday Night Football |
| Saints @ Cowboys | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Colts @ Packers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Jets @ Titans | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| 49ers @ Vikings | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Seahawks @ Patriots | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Giants @ Commanders | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Chargers @ Panthers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Bucs @ Lions | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Browns @ Jaguars | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Raiders @ Ravens | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Rams @ Cardinals | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Steelers @ Broncos | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Bengals @ Chiefs | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Bears @ Texans | Sunday Night Football |
| Falcons @ Eagles -- FREE | Monday Night Football |
