If it feels like Jonathon Brooks actually wasn’t drafted by the Panthers in the second round last April’s draft, you wouldn’t be alone in that sentiment. The Panthers have obviously slow-rolled his return to play after it initially appeared that a return as early as Week 5 was on the table, but he should be in line to see his first NFL action after officially being activated from IR this week. Unfortunately for Brooks, he enters a Panthers offense that is not only one of the worst in the NFL, but one that is also quarterbacked by none other than Bryce Young. Granted, Young has flashed an iota or two of potential over the past few weeks, but nothing that would suggest that Carolina is capable of making an offensive turnaround on the scale necessary to prop up Brooks as a relevant fantasy running back – especially in his first game off of an ACL tear. The expectation for Brooks should be that he takes a back seat to incumbent starter Chuba Hubbard, who continues to play well and likely won’t concede his role as primary back any time soon. It’s also a possibility we have to wait until 2025 to see Brooks assume a fantasy-relevant workload, especially with this year already down the tubes from a competitive standpoint for the Panthers. Brooks can be rostered prospectively for the time being, but he’s nothing more than a bench stash until we see just what exactly HC Dave Canales has in store for the former Texas star.