Panthers at Broncos: 5 best fantasy options
By Brad Weiss
2. Carolina Panthers Defense
The Carolina Panthers defensive unit may put on a show on Thursday night. Boasting one of the best linebackers in all of football, the Panthers have the talent on the defensive side of the ball to cause complete havoc. They will be licking their chops at the opportunity to face an inexperience quarterback in Week 1.
Luke Kuechly is the kind of linebacker that can turn around a franchise, and he will likely be an all-time great for the Panthers before he is done. He flies all around the field, and is sure to cause Trevor Siemian fits on Thursday. Look for the Panthers to feature some blitz packages that focus around Kuechly being in Siemian’s face.
On area to keep an eye on is in the defensive secondary, where the team plans to play two rookies at the cornerback spots. James Bradberry and fellow rookie Daryl Worley are expected to be the starting cornerbacks, making the Panthers the first team to start rookies at the corners since 1991. The last team to do it was the Kansas City Chiefs, who started Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr.
The position was a strength of the team in 2015, as Josh Norman emerged as one of the top corners in the league. Regardless, Siemian is going to be green, at least early, and the team should be able to force him into some throws. Look for at least one interception, but it could very well be a three INT game for Siemian in his debut.
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