On paper, the Panthers offense will look much different than it has over the past few weeks without Thielen and Brooks in the lineup. Consider also that RB Miles Sanders will officially miss Carolina’s Week 12 clash with the Chiefs, and it seems like Brooks could have his role cut out for him as he makes his first start in a Panthers uniform. The exceptional play of Chuba Hubbard over the past few weeks netted him a hefty four-year contract, locking him in for the foreseeable future and securing his role in Carolina’s backfield. As a result, it’s unlikely that Brooks will be able to make this anything close to a 1-2 punch in the early going. Brooks will more than likely serve as a change-of-pace option to give Hubbard a rest as necessary, though he could push for a larger role over the course of the last three weeks of the fantasy regular season. He’ll also become a premium handcuff option along with the Tyler Allgeiers and the Braelon Allens of the world. Meanwhile, Thielen is set to reprise his role from the first few weeks of the 2023 season as the Panthers’ WR1. With Bryce Young as his quarterback, Diontae Johnson out of the equation, and expectations for the offense as low as ever going into a difficult matchup, it’s nearly a carbon copy of his circumstances from his productive run last season. Whether he lives up to those expectations remains to be seen, but Thielen could be worth a look as a WR3 option this week.