Who Should I Start? Jordan Matthews or Michael Wilson

Tuesday, November 12, 2:12 PM

The Carolina Panthers are releasing wide receiver Cam Johnson and tight end Jordan Matthews on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. The team also activated veteran wideout Adam Thielen from Injured Reserve. Johnson went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Northwestern and has spent time on the Cowboys and Panthers practice squad. Matthews, who began his career as a wide receiver out of Vanderbilt in 2014, has been with Carolina since 2023, but he only played in one game for the organization. These moves do not have any fantasy football impact.

Saturday, December 21, 9:26 AM

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson remains a risky WR3/FLEX play in deeper leagues as he prepares to take on the Carolina Panthers. The 24-year-old has been a beacon of availability this season, playing at least 66 percent of offensive snaps in all 14 games. He has a modest stat line of 41 catches, 482 yards, and four touchdowns so far, ranking 52nd among wide receivers in terms of fantasy points (PPR). He had come on strong with 25.2 fantasy points between Weeks 13 and 14, but he dropped down to just 2.9 points with a pair of catches for nine yards last weekend. This week, Wilson faces the Panthers, who have been mediocre in terms of defending wide receivers. Carolina has allowed the 14th-fewest fantasy points to slot receivers this year, as well as the 12th-most fantasy points to receivers who play out wide. For context, Wilson has taken 212 snaps from the slot (30.6 percent), which is the 34th-most among NFL receivers. Managers can certainly justify starting him in deeper fantasy formats, but we'd advise looking elsewhere for production in leagues with 12 teams or fewer.