Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 on a play where he scored a touchdown against the Raiders. He has not played since.
But the Panthers have activated Thielen from the Injured Reserve, paving the way for the veteran slot receiver to return to the field soon.
When will Adam Thielen return to action, and what is his fantasy football outlook when he does? Let's dive in.
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Adam Thielen Injury Update
Back in Week 3, Adam Thielen caught a 31-yard touchdown from Andy Dalton, but he hurt his hamstring on the play. He ended up landing on the IR and has now missed Carolina's last seven games.
But on Tuesday, the Panthers activated Thielen from the IR. Does that mean he'll play in the team's next game?
The #Panthers have activated WR Adam Thielen from the IR.
Welcome back 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UNygCRTjEa
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 12, 2024
Not necessarily. The team had already activated his 21-day practice window, so they were forced to either activate Thielen on Tuesday or return him to the IR for the remainder of the season.
He certainly could play after the team's Week 11 bye. The Panthers play the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 24 in the team's next game.
Adam Thielen Fantasy Football Outlook
Now that the Panthers have traded Diontae Johnson, a healthy Adam Thielen will likely see a large number of targets for the Panthers.
Prior to his injury, Thielen had eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. He finished with over 1,000 yards in 2023, but saw a drop in usage with Johnson on the field. He also suffered a bit from playing Week 1 and Week 2 with Bryce Young, who really struggled to move the ball.
Thielen has WR3 upside with Johnson gone, assuming he plays in Week 12 when the Panthers return from the bye week.
I’ll never understand how Jalen Coker went undrafted. Was a monster at Holy Cross, and a special teams demon. He’s going to play for a long time pic.twitter.com/wS0YJfqFNX
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) November 10, 2024
Thielen's return also cuts into the upside of Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, especially Coker, who loses much of his fantasy appeal with Thielen back in the fold, though Coker has strong dynasty upside.
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