Who Should I Start? Xavier Legette or Zachariah Branch

Saturday, September 5, 10:18 AM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette has a clearer hold on the No. 3 role after Chris Brazzell II went down with a season-ending knee injury. Brazzell had looked good early in camp and was expected to have a role, but surgery on the LCL in his left knee ended his rookie year before it started. Legette is now listed with the first-team offense alongside Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, and Carolina held all three out of the preseason finale because their roster spots were secure. That matters after Legette slipped to 35 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns last season. His own summer was encouraging, too. Dave Canales praised the work Legette put into the details of his game, and the former first-round pick was having a strong camp before a foot issue cost him some time late in August. He returned to practice on Sept. 1. McMillan and Coker remain ahead of him in the target pecking order, so the fantasy ceiling is still limited. The WR3 path, though, looks much cleaner than it did entering camp.