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 Falcons.
Find a breakdown of every Week 2 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| Carolina | Rank | @ | Atlanta | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -1.5 | Spread | 1.5 | ||
| 22.5 | Implied Total | 21.0 | ||
| 37.0 | 4 | Points/Gm | 13.0 | 25 |
| 59.0 | 32 | Points All./Gm | 20.0 | 10 |
| 62.0 | 17 | Plays/Gm | 57.0 | 19 |
| 70.0 | 28 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 64.0 | 19 |
| 7.7 | 4 | Off. Yards/Play | 4.2 | 27 |
| 7.9 | 31 | Def. Yards/Play | 4.1 | 4 |
| 35.48% | 26 | Rush% | 54.39% | 9 |
| 64.52% | 7 | Pass% | 45.61% | 24 |
| 55.71% | 27 | Opp. Rush % | 32.81% | 5 |
| 44.29% | 6 | Opp. Pass % | 67.19% | 28 |
- The Falcons averaged a league-low 17.8 yards per possession in Week 1.
- Carolina gained 10 or more yards on 29% of their offensive plays in Week 1, second in the league. In 2025, that rate was 16.9% (28th).
- The Panthers were outgained on the ground by 166 yards in Week 1, their worst differential in a game since Week 9 of 2022 (-177).
- 36.6% of Bryce Young's dropbacks resulted in 1.0 EPA or more, the highest rate for him in a game for his career.
- Atlanta wide receivers had a league-low 53 receiving yards in Week 1.
Trust = spike production for that player
Panthers vs. Falcons Fantasy Quarterback Preview
Bryce Young
Young took advantage of a great matchup and game environment in Week 1, producing 31.3 fantasy points.
Young completed 23 of 37 passes (62.2%) for 361 yards, threw 3 touchdowns, and threw 1 interception.
He added another rushing touchdown.
We highlighted last week that Young has quietly shown upside in high-total-game environments.
He does not play in them often.
That is what makes it so hard to chase last week's output here.
Sunday was Young's third 30-point fantasy game.
The first two came against the Falcons in Atlanta.
The last time these teams played in Atlanta last year, in Week 11, Young threw for a career-high 448 yards and 3 touchdowns.
That game was a 30-27 overtime win.
In 2024, Young threw 3 touchdowns with 2 rushing touchdowns in Atlanta.
That was a 44-38 overtime win.
Both of those games had Michael Penix on the other side, who will not play in this game.
If this game pops, we are counting on Tua Tagovailoa or Cooper Rush to get us there.
In the other non-shootout between these teams last year, Young scored 11.6 fantasy points.
I would use Young as a QB2 here, but I want to see him deliver in a non-optimal setup before chasing his Week 1 in 1QB formats.
The Panthers threw the ball 5.8% over expectations last week when pushed, so maybe they will have turned over a new leaf and push Young in a contract year.
One of the biggest surprises from Week 1 was Atlanta's defense.
It was against the Steelers, so apply any grains of salt needed, but the Falcons were third in defensive EPA per play in Week 1 and third in success rate.
They allowed 5.4 yards per pass attempt (8th) while creating pressure on 40.9% of dropbacks (11th).
The Falcons ranked second in sacks (57) and had a 37% pressure rate (15th) in 2025, so we have to keep tabs on whether this is a Jeff Ulbrich influence making up for the losses up front.
Falcons QB
Right now, Tua Tagovailoa is at the top of the depth chart for Week 2, but we will have to track his status throughout the week.
It is unlikely we will see Michael Penix this week, with his return timetable closer to Week 4 based on the latest reports.
I don't have much confidence in this offense with Tagovailoa if he starts, but it will be hard to be worse than what we saw from Cooper Rush last weekend.
Rush went 12-for-22 (54.5%) for 143 yards (6.5 Y/A), with a touchdown, 2 interceptions, and 4 sacks.
Rush pretty much just spammed targets to Bijan Robinson.
When throwing to wide receivers and tight ends, Rush went 4 for 9 for 53 yards with an interception.
Every other quarterback last week threw for at least 100 yards to receivers and tight ends, even Cam Ward.
Over the past two years, Tagovailoa has averaged a league-low 6.2 air yards per pass attempt while throwing the ball 38.8% of the time outside of the numbers (26th).
When he has tried to push the ball downfield, Tagovailoa has completed 32.8% of his throws (34th) of 20 or more yards downfield,
We saw more of the same this preseason.
87 passers this preseason threw the ball 10 or more times.
Tagovailoa's 2.8 air yards per attempt were last on that list.
71.8% of his preseason passing yards came after the catch.
Tagovailoa's ability to play on time could help Stefanski's scheme, but it is hard to argue Tagovailoa is more than a forced option for needy 2QB gamers if he is ready to play.
The Panthers were flooded by Chicago last week if you want to chase that.
Carolina allowed a 72.4% completion rate (25th), 9.3 yards per pass attempt (27th), and a 6.9% touchdown rate (23rd).
Panthers vs. Falcons Fantasy Running Back Preview
To continue reading this article
select one of the packages below
All-Access: Unlocks all fantasy content & Warren Sharp's betting recommendations for 2026.
– 2025 Record: 500-374 (57%) +70.77 Units –
– 2025 Best Bet Record: 17-3 (85%) –
– Computer Totals Record Last 5 Years: 144-65 (69%) –
Fantasy Packages: Unlocks all of Rich Hribar's industry-leading fantasy content for 2026.
LEARN ABOUT FANTASYMore Week 2 Fantasy Breakdowns From The Worksheet:
| Matchup | Time |
|---|---|
| Lions @ Bills | Thursday Night Football |
| Panthers @ Falcons | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Vikings @ Bears | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Eagles @ Titans | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Steelers @ Patriots | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Packers @ Jets | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Browns @ Bucs | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Saints @ Ravens | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Bengals @ Texans | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Jaguars @ Broncos | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Raiders @ Chargers | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Commanders @ Cowboys | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Seahawks @ Cardinals | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Dolphins @ 49ers | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Colts @ Chiefs | Sunday Night Football |
| Giants @ Rams | Monday Night Football |