Jalen

Coker

It’s not a surprise based on how last season ended — and how Coker blew up in the Wild Card loss to the Rams — but it’s good to get coach validation. Xavier Legette has struggled to grab hold of the role in any real way. While Coker finished the year with just a 33/394/3 line, he makes for an intriguing fantasy WR4/WR5 target in drafts and Best Ball.

Coker did have one previous 100-yard game, against the Cowboys in 2024, but this is a career-high in yardage, catches, and targets for the second-year receiver. He even caught the go-ahead touchdown with a little over two minutes left in the game. Almost makes you think the Panthers should have tried to make him the No. 2 option sometime before the Wild Card game. Coker will get plenty of offseason fantasy helium based on this game, perhaps enough to get him in the WR4 range, but the volume in this passing game could barely support Tetairoa McMillan this year. Two receivers might be a big ask. Coker finished the regular season with a 33/394/3 line in 11 games after missing most of the early part of the season with a hamstring injury.

Coker perfectly timed a leaping catch for a touchdown to get the Panthers to within a score with just over two minutes left in the game. The second-year wideout ended the year with three touchdowns, but all three came in the final five games for those looking for positives. Coker should be more involved in 2026 if healthy — he didn’t play until October 19 — and offers some upside for the coming seasons. His chance to play in the playoffs in 2025 will be determined by whether the Falcons beat the Saints.

Coker led the team in receiving, if you want to know how today went for the Panthers’ passing attack. Although he’s attained clear No. 2 status in the offense, Coker is still struggling to post meaningful fantasy lines. That could change for Week 18 vs. the Bucs’ pass-funnel defense.

Coker was slow to get going at the beginning of the game, but made his first grab in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half. He was utilized more in the second half, making a 34-yard catch on the sideline despite drawing defensive pass interference on the same play in the fourth quarter. The Panthers have made Coker the No. 2 wideout next to Tetairoa McMillan, though he is in the WR5 range in a tough matchup against the Seahawks for Week 17.

Coker had a great game. He showed up on the Panthers’ first drive with a toe-tapping 15-yard catch along the left sideline. He later hauled in a 24-yard pass on a corner route on the Panthers’ third drive and caught a 32-yard touchdown via hitch-and-go on the Panthers’ fourth drive. Though Coker often lines up in the slot, he scored the touchdown lined up out wide on the right side. Coker is a potential WR4 play in a must-win game against the Buccaneers in Week 16.

Coker led all Panthers’ pass-catchers in receptions, yards, and targets in this one. The second-year receiver caught his first touchdown of the season in the third quarter when he broke free past Emmanuel Forbes on a fourth-and-three to haul in a 33-yard score. He later came up with a 10-yard reception on the game’s final drive to convert a first down and officially put the game on ice. The six targets Coker saw in this one sets a new season-high, but fantasy managers shouldn’t rush to chase this performance in Week 15 against the Saints when the Panthers return from their bye.

Coker finished third on the team in receiving behind running back Rico Dowdle and alpha rookie Tetairoa McMillan, which is more of a nod to the offense’s general inability to move the football than it is to his individual performance. The Panthers managed just 72 yards of total offense in the first half, even while generating three turnovers in the first 30 minutes of play. Coker appears more promising than his current exploits indicate, particularly since the shift to a more run-focused offense by head coach Dave Canales. That leaves his fantasy value lacking ahead of a Week 13 matchup with the NFC-leading Rams.

Coker operated as the Panthers’ No. 3 receiver again this week. He averaged an impressive 13 yards per target but only accounted for nine percent of the team’s receiving opportunities. Coker is ultimately a better real-life player than a fantasy asset. He is buried in the WR6/7 ranks ahead of his Week 12 date with the 49ers.

The Panthers’ passing game can barely support Tetairoa McMillan as a WR3 so it should be no surprise that Coker continues to have little to no impact. Coker’s appeared in four games now and finished with receiving totals of zero, 36, nine and 21. He’s a FLEX play in deeper leagues at best against the Falcons in Week 11.