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Former Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions wide receiver D.J. Chark agreed to a one-year deal to join the Carolina Panthers for 2023. Carolina traded a haul of picks and star wideout D.J. Moore to acquire the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears, so Chark will be tasked with helping a rookie QB grow next season.
However, Chark missed much of the 2021 and 2022 seasons thanks to injuries and we have a new injury update for the 26-year-old wide receiver.
Will Chark be ready for Week 1? What is his 2023 fantasy football outlook? We'll discuss both questions below.
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D.J. Chark Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich said that Chark (ankle) recently underwent ankle surgery, but he could be ready for part of organized team activities this spring. Chark missed six games last year and 13 games in 2021, but the former LSU receiver should be ready for training camp this summer and the start of the 2023 regular season.
There's a good chance the Panthers will look to add to their receiver room in the draft, but for now, Chark and Adam Thielen will enter 2023 as their top two pass-catchers for seemingly one of CJ Stroud or Bryce Young.
D.J. Chark 2023 Fantasy Outlook
While Chark has real ability to provide boom weeks with his upper-echelon speed, he's failed to be a volume receiver in four of his first five seasons in the NFL. Additionally, offenses led by rookie quarterbacks usually struggle. There are some outlier rookie QBs like Justin Herbert and Andrew Luck who immediately improve a team's offense, but that's far from the expectation for whoever the Panthers select first overall.
In all likelihood, the Panthers offensive attack will have a ceiling of a league-average unit, so Chark won't have a ton of opportunities to score touchdowns and rack up big-time yards.
His greatest value is as a Best Ball receiver, as he's not consistent, but can boom for a four-catch, 100-yard, receiving touchdown performance every now and then. Chark's skill set brings more value to an actual NFL offense than it does to a fantasy team.
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