The Carolina Panthers face the New Orleans Saints in a pivotal matchup where the winner will take sole lead of the NFC South.

The Panthers will rely on Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker to lead their passing attack, but can Fantasy managers trust either receiver in the starting lineup this week.

Tetairoa McMillan

McMillan has by far been the emphasis of the Panthers' passing game this season as the second-year wide receiver leads the Panthers in various receiving categories. McMillan leads the Panthers in targets, receiving yards and receptions so far this season. The sophomore receiver looks to use his WR 1 role into this week's crucial matchup against the Saints.

McMillan is enjoying a satifactory Fantasy season so far this year as the Panthers receiver ranks as WR 13 in PPR leagues. There is a 45.2 PPR outlier in week 4 boosting McMillan's WR rankings, but the second-year receiver has proved to be a steady stream of Fantasy points this season. In six out of eight games this season, McMillan scored at least 10.5 PPR points, proving the wide receiver has a high-Fantasy floor.

McMillan didn't have the best displays in his rookie campaign against the Saints. McMillan finished with 11.0 and 4.5 PPR points in his rookie season against the season. The prior displays aren't anything to write home about, but McMillan's role this season can produce a high-floor Fantasy performance this week.

Jalen Coker

Coker broke out of the gates with a 33.8 PPR perfromance, good for WR 1 that week. Since the week 1 performance, it's been a rollercoaster for Coker. Coker missed two games with an injury and had four games below 10 PPR points.

Despite the recent struggles there is some hope for Coker to rediscover his Fantasy form in this week's matchup against a divisional rival. In Coker's last game against the Saints, the Panthers receiver finished with 14 PPR points.

Coker's recent Fantasy performances haven't been eye-catching for Fantasy managers, but facing an opponent Coker had success against could help the Panthers wide receiver rediscover his Fantasy form.

The Verdict

The Saints are midpack in their points allowed to opposing wide receivers as their 25.7 FPPG average is 16th-most in the league. What is a bit of a concern when looking at the Saints defense is their weakness to opposing running backs. The Saints allow the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs with 25.6 FPPG average.

The Saints' weakness to opposing running backs may hint to a run-heavy approach by the Panthers, which limits McMillan's and Coker's Fantasy ceilings. Even then, the Panthers duo are still worth playing this week, especially if a Fantasy manager's wide receiver room is thin.

McMillan is the better option out of the pair as his WR 1 role lends to a higher probability of a sufficient Fantasy score compared to Coker. Coker has the higher probability of having a ceiling-Fantasy display this week, but is a riskier candidate as his season's work displays a boom-or-bust player.