Outlook: Last season's number-one overall pick struggled mightily during his rookie season. But can you really blame him? Just about every positional unit within the Panthers' offense was awful. Bryce Young was set up for failure last season.

The offensive line was among the worst in the league. Young was sacked 62 times, second-most in the league. Outside of Adam Thielen, Carolina's WR core did nothing to ease Young into his NFL career. Panthers' wide receivers ranked 31st in terms of separation created on their routes. Among 153 qualified pass catchers, D.J. Chark ranked 143rd in ESPN's Open Score Metric while Jonathan Mingo ranked 152nd. These guys did anything but help their rookie QB.

Carolina took steps to improve the cast around their QB who they hope to be the face of their franchise. They made significant additions to the offensive line, traded for Diontae Johnson, and added Xavier Legette in Round 1 of the NFL draft. They also added "QB whisperer" Dave Canales as their new head coach.

All of these changes are promising in regards to Young taking a step forward in year 2. However, the fantasy community doesn't want much to do with him and he is being drafted as the QB25.

Given his essentially free price, I don't mind taking a shot on Young as your QB2 in hopes he takes a leap under Canales with new weapons. However, my expectations aren't high and middling QB2 production would be a win.

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Outlook: In the quarterback landscape for the New England Patriots, the situation remains uncertain with Jacoby Brissett potentially starting the season. However, amidst this uncertainty, rookie Drake Maye emerges as a compelling figure for fantasy managers to monitor closely. Known for his robust stature and impressive college statistics, Maye demonstrated a knack for minimizing turnovers and delivering under pressure throughout his collegiate career. Despite a puzzling downturn towards the end of his final season, the consensus points to Maye eventually blossoming into a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. His profile suggests potential for elite production, although immediate fantasy relevance may be limited by New England's offensive challenges and his rookie status. Nevertheless, in Superflex and two-quarterback formats, Maye presents an intriguing late-round option with significant upside. Drawing comparisons to Josh Allen in terms of both passing and rushing abilities, Maye could provide substantial fantasy returns once he secures playing time in the Patriots' lineup.

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Outlook: A year ago, the question was whether Sean Payton could revive Russell Wilson's career after a brutal first season in Denver. The answer was no. The two of them never seemed to be on the same page, and the Broncos cut ties with Wilson, absorbing a massive $53 million in dead cap. Rather than sign a veteran, the team drafted Nix with the 12th overall pick, which seemed like a pretty significant reach with many publications putting a second- or third-round grade on him.

At this point, Nix is locked in a three-way battle with veteran Jarrett Stidham, who started the final two games of 2023, and Zach Wilson, the former No. 2 overall pick that flamed out in New York. To be clear, Payton drafted Nix to develop him now, so even if Stidham is QB1 in September, the odds are that the rookie will see the majority of the snaps in 2024.

Nix started 61 games in college, which is the most in FBS history, so he has some experience. He has good athleticism, throws an accurate ball, and makes sound decisions. Expect Payton to heavily manage him, though, leaning on the running and short-passing games no matter who is under center. Nix is a low-ceiling option that shouldn't generate much interest outside keeper formats.

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Outlook: The camp battle between Darnold and McCarthy is going to be quite entertaining, as the winner inherits the keys to a potent set of receivers and a coach that coaxed multiple 4,000 yard, 30-touchdown seasons out of Kirk Cousins. McCarthy has looked the part of a raw, talented prospect, but he knows how to win, unlike his veteran competition. Darnold has bounced around the league after leaving the Jets, and finds himself on his third team in three years. He hasn't played a meaningful snap in several seasons, but his pedigree, experience, and brief early career flashes, likely make him the Week 1 starter for the Vikes. If Kevin O'Connell is the QB whisperer many think he is, Darnold could play well enough to win some games and keep the rookie at bay. Minnesota is a win now team in an incredibly competitive division, so unless Darnold completely implodes, I expect his leash will be as long as Vikings fans allow it to be. Call me crazy, but I can see a world where Darnold plays well, reaps the benefits of an elite set of receivers and sneaks into fantasy relevance. How long that lasts is the problem. With how tough this division is set up to be, a few early season losses will have the McCarthy chants too loud to ignore. Unfortunately, with how deep the position is, I just can't see either guy being draftable options. McCarthy's athleticism and big arm offer the most upside when he eventually takes over, but either guy can be plucked off the waiver wire if necessary.

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Outlook: The Patriots are still considering their options, but their lack of commitment to rookie Drake Maye suggests they are leaning toward Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback to open the 2024 season. Brissett, a journeyman QB who has spent much of his career as a backup, finds himself back in New England, where his professional career began in 2016. He played minimally as a backup for the Commanders in 2023, but he has started 48 games throughout his career, giving fantasy managers a good idea of what to expect. While Brissett is an excellent short-term fill-in, it's difficult to envision him as a long-term solution at QB for any NFL team, especially one like the Patriots, who recently selected a quarterback near the top of the draft. Brissett's lack of upside, compounded by the mediocre offensive weapons in New England and his limited contribution as a runner, leaves little reason for excitement in any fantasy format.

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