Bryce Young breaks into fantasy football picture as 2024 NFL season ends

The Carolina Panthers' young quarterback has officially entered the fantasy football chat.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hugs Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers after the game at Raymond James Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. / (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

16 weeks ago Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales decided to bench Bryce Young. While the move came as a shock to the NFL landscape, Young hadn't given his rookie head coach much of a choice. Two games is a terribly-small sample size, but Young's production had somehow managed to reach Jimmy Clausen territory, with a QBR under 10 as Week 2 came to a close.

Fast forward one week and it looked like Bryce Young's future was toast with this organization. Andy Dalton came out against the Raiders and put on one of the best games of his 14-year pro career, dropping 319 yards, three touchdowns and a 126.3 passer rating. Dalton followed that up with another strong outing against the Bengals, and Bryce Young trade chatter reached a fever pitch.

The football gods had other ideas, though. Dalton declined rapidly after Week 4 as he faced a series of far-more serious defensive units than those residing in Vegas and Cincinnati. Even still, Canales seemed determined to continue starting Dalton for the rest of the season - and before the trade deadline at least four teams called Carolina about a potential Bryce Young deal - the Panthers thankfully said no dice.

Around that time Young's luck turned when Dalton was involved in a minor car accident - sustaining a thumb injury in the process. That knocked Dalton out for Week 9 against a brutal Denver defense, and Young might have been sent packing at the deadline two days later but he had a break-through perfromance against the Broncos' tough man-heavy scheme.

Since then Young hasn't been perfect - most notably an ugly four-turnover performance against the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago. However, Young has since bounced back from that bad game and overall since Week 9 he's been playing the position at a top-10 level. Going into the last game of the season, NFL.com has Young ranked 11th in the league, an incredible turnaround from early in the year when he wasn't even a top-40 quarterback.

The PFF grades have consistently liked what Young is doing and anyone who's actually watching has been impressed by Young's throws - especially deep and against pressure. Still, Young hasn't really had a breakout performance in fantasy footbal as of yet, which means he's still flying under the average fan's radar. That might be about to change, though...

According to Erik Beaston at Bleacher Report, Young is one of the best waiver wire pickups around the league for Week 18 against a surprisingly-bad Atlanta pass defense.

"From a fantasy perspective, last year's No. 1 overall pick has thrown at least one passing touchdown in his last nine starts and added three rushing touchdowns in six of those starts. He has finished in the top 20 at his position in nine of his last 10 starts and Sunday, plays an Atlanta Falcons team ranked 27th against opposing quarterbacks and giving up 18.93 points per game."

If your league is still playing in Week 18 then you must be serious enough to know that Young is on the cusp of a fantasy breakout. That may not come this week - but it is coming. If the Panthers can manage to find Young another capable receiver to pair with Adam Thielen then Young should be a legitimate mid-range target in next year's drafts.

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