Jonathon Brooks

Jonathon Brooks enters the 2026 fantasy season as one of the most interesting upside bets in the game, but he still comes with real risk. CBS Sports says he should be viewed as a bench running back who can be drafted starting around Round 10, with the biggest questions being whether he is fully back from his knee injuries and whether he can stay healthy once the season starts.

The talent case is still strong. Brooks was a second-round pick in 2024, and CBS notes that he was a highly productive college runner at Texas, while Fantasy Life points out that Carolina still views him as a player who could lead the offense if he is healthy. That combination of draft capital, college production, and team belief gives him legitimate breakout appeal, especially in fantasy formats that reward bench stashes and late-round swings.

The health outlook is the key reason his price remains discounted. Brooks missed time with one ACL injury in college and then lost all of 2025 to another ACL tear, but current fantasy coverage says he has had enough recovery time to be close to 100 percent, and FantasyPros reports that he has already been practicing at Panthers OTAs after being cleared. That is a major positive, but it also means fantasy managers are still betting on a player who has barely played in the NFL so far.

In Carolina, the path to volume looks better than it did a year ago. FantasyPros says the Panthers have not added much meaningful competition beyond Chuba Hubbard, Trevor Etienne, and A.J. Dillon, and Fantasy Life reports that Brooks has a realistic chance to win the starting job if he is healthy. The most practical fantasy approach is to draft him as a high-upside RB4 or bench RB with league-winning potential, while recognizing that his range of outcomes still includes a committee role if the team eases him in.

Updated 06/22/2026