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Carolina Panthers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.

Panthers Edge Brian Burns suffered a concussion in Sunday's loss to the Colts. That likely means he'll miss a high-ceiling Week 10 matchup with the Bears, as players nearly always need at least the following week to pass through the concussion protocol. We'll watch for more details this week on Burns' situation, but make sure you have an IDP replacement option ready.

Panthers S Vonn Bell (quad) apparently isn't ready to return just yet. He's doubtful for Sunday's game despite putting in limited practices all week. It'll be Bell's third straight missed game -- and another start for Sam Franklin in his place. Franklin made noise with a 99-yard INT return for a TD back in Week 4, but he has just one game all season with more than 2 solo tackles. He's not a worthwhile option for most IDP leagues. The Panthers might also miss CB Donte Jackson. He's officially questionable despite not appearing on the injury report until Friday, as a full participant.

Panthers S Vonn Bell put in limited practices Wednesday and Thursday, his first action since injuring a quad the Thursday before a Week 6 meeting with the Dolphins. Bell missed that game and last week's win over the Texans, sandwiching a Week 7 bye. But he just might be ready to return Sunday against the Colts. Indy has been a negative scoring matchup for DBs on the season, but Bell's a decent tackle play in just about any spot. His return would send S Sam Franklin back to the sideline.

The Panthers will have S Xavier Woods (hamstring) back in the lineup for today's game against the Texans. It'll be his first game action since Week 3.

Panthers LB Frankie Luvu (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans after putting in limited practices all week. He says he'll be playing, though, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. Expect to have Luvu in your IDP lineups.

The Panthers have ruled S Vonn Bell (quad) out for the second straight game. He missed the full week of practice coming out of the Week 7 bye. S Xavier Woods, on the other hand, appears to be trending toward a Sunday return. He's questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans after finishing the week with a full Friday practice. Woods has been out since Week 3. We'll check his status Sunday.

Panthers Edge Brian Burns is questionable after injuring an elbow during the practice week. After seeing his time limited Thursday, Burns missed Friday's practice altogether. We'll see about his status over the weekend, but make sure you have another option available.

Panthers LB Frankie Luvu left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury and did not return. Fortunately, he now gets a Week 7 bye to recover. This is the same area that had Luvu on the injury report in weeks 4 and 5, but he played through it for each game. We'll watch for updates on Luvu's status.

Panthers Edge Brian Burns (ankle) and DT Derrick Brown (knee, ankle) are active for today's game against the Dolphins. Brown still looks like a risky play after a limited week of practice.

Panthers Edge Brian Burns (ankle) and DT Derrick Brown (knee, ankle) are questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Burns went from a limited Wednesday to sitting out Thursday but then practice in full on Friday. That progression makes him seem likely to play. Brown went limited, no practice, limited and looks more iffy for the game. We'll check the status of both when inactives arrive Sunday morning.

The Panthers have ruled S Vonn Bell and S Xavier Woods out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Woods comes as no surprise, as he's dealing with a multi-week hamstring injury. Bell suffered a quad injury Thursday that kept him out of Friday's practice. Sam Franklin has been starting in Woods' spot and carries tackle upside into a matchup with speedy Miami. We'll see who fills in for Bell. IDP managers would love to get full playing time for Jeremy Chinn, but he played a season-low 30% of the snaps in Week 5, despite injuries at safety and LB. Fifth-round rookie Jammie Robinson is the other SS candidate. You can stash Chinn for now in case he gets the nod, or you could simply avoid the situation (beyond Franklin). We'll watch for more details.

Panthers LB Frankie Luvu (hip) is active today against the Vikings. He arrived questionable after leaving Week 3 early but should be set for most IDP lineups.

Panthers S Xavier Woods suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks that's expected to keep him out 4-6 weeks, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Fifth-round rookie Jammie Robinson looks like the next man up in Woods' spot. Fellow reserve Sam Franklin is in his fourth season and has five career starts, though. And perhaps Jeremy Chinn gains some playing time. We'll see how this situation plays out. The Carolina defense is already missing CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring) and could also miss CB C.J. Henderson (ankle). LB Frankie Luvu (hip) is also a question mark for Week 4. We'll see about the whole unit through the practice week.

Panthers LB Frankie Luvu left Sunday's loss to the Seahawks with a hip injury and did not return. We'll see about his status heading into Week 4. With fellow starter Shaq Thompson already out, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill tallied 10 tackles to lead the team. He'll be worth a pickup for Week 4 in many IDP leagues -- especially if Luvu is expected to miss further time.

Panthers LB Shaq Thompson left Monday night's game against the Saints with an injury to his right shin. He's doubtful to return. We'll see about Thompson's status heading into Week 3.

Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that HC Frank Reich said Thompson suffered a "significant" ankle injury. Thompson is expected to miss the rest of the season, though he'll have further tests Tuesday.

The Panthers have agreed to a one-year deal with Edge Justin Houston. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Houston will get $6 million guaranteed, with a top value of $7 million. Houston rebounded for 9.5 sacks at age 33 with the Ravens last season, tying his second-largest sack total of the past eight years despite a career-low 44.1% snap share. That bodes well for the pressure rate Carolina can expect to get from the veteran. But you should expect Houston to remain in a similar situational role. That obviously limits his statistical upside. Beyond the sacks, Houston tallied a career-low 21 total tackles. That matched the total from his 2016 campaign in Kansas City, which saw Houston play in just five games. Houston tallied 6 more solo tackles (20) that year than he did in 2022. We've added Houston to the IDP rankings, but he's not an exciting option.

Panthers edge Brian Burns had surgery last Wednesday on his right ankle, the team announced Monday. Burns missed Week 18 with what was deemed an ankle sprain, but he returned to participate in the Pro Bowl games. Panthers.com's Darin Gantt reports that Burns continued to feel soreness as he began the offseason program, however. Tests revealed a "small fracture," which Dr. Robert Anderson repaired. Carolina expects Burns to be ready for training camp and play the season with "no limitations." This obviously adds a challenge for a rising, young pass rusher, though. We'll be watching Burns' progress this summer. Don't be surprised if we're a little cautious with his initial projections, coming in mid-May.

The Panthers have reached a deal with former Bengals S Vonn Bell, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Carolina still has S Xavier Woods, who signed for three years as a free agent last offseason. The team lists Jeremy Chinn as a safety as well, but he moves around the formation. According to Pro Football Focus, Chinn actually played more snaps at slot CB than anywhere else last season. So expect the Panthers to have room for all three players in their primary defensive alignments. Cincinnati, meanwhile, must replace both safeties. Dax Hill -- a late first-round pick last April -- should fill one spot. We'll see about the other. Hill gets a boost in the dynasty rankings with these departures.

The Panthers are hiring Ejiro Evero as DC, according to multiple reports. In his 1st year as Broncos DC, Evero earned widespread praise. He piloted a unit that ranked 7th in yards allowed, 14th in points allowed and 10th in Football Outsiders' DVOA. Denver likely would have ranked even better but traded EDGE Bradley Chubb during the season and lost S Justin Simmons to injury for 5 games (among other injuries). Evero -- who has been on NFL staffs since 2007, except for 1 year spent at the D-III level -- impressed enough to draw head-coaching interviews this offseason. He'll take over a Panthers defense with some talented pieces. Chief among those are EDGE Brian Burns, S Jeremy Chinn, CB Jaycee Horn and DT Derrick Brown. Don't be surprised if the Carolina defense becomes more of a fantasy football factor in 2023.

Panthers EDGE Brian Burns (ankle) is inactive for today's game against the Saints.

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