Who Should I Start? Matt Barkley or Bryce Young

Saturday, March 21, 5:14 PM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young posted mixed results in 2025, but his strong finish to the year and his career-high 23 passing touchdowns put him in the conversation as a potential buy-low target in dynasty leagues. Young took strides during his third pro season, posting a career-best finish as QB19 in fantasy football. The touchdown total increased to a new career-high mark, but so did the turnovers, as he threw 11 interceptions and coughed up four fumbles. Young was highly inconsistent, and it ws difficult for fantasy managers to know when to start him. He did start to turn a corner in the second half of the season, though, ranking as the QB11 from Week 11 through Week 18. We could see the former No. 1 pick take another step forward next year as the offense takes on a slightly new look. Head coach Dave Canales is passing off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, and Young will have more freedom to make changes at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, he should have his top two receivers (Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker) healthy for Week 1, giving him a pair of highly talented weapons heading into the season. There will still be growing pains, and we won't claim to expect a top-12 fantasy finish from Young. However, such an outcome wouldn't surprise us, either. As a result, he's an intriguing speculative buy-low candidate at his current price tag in dynasty leagues.