Fantasy Football 2017 Team Preview: Carolina Panthers
This is the 2017 fantasy preview of the Carolina Panthers. In this preview I will provide the Must-Own players, Sleepers, and Longshot players with upside very deep in drafts.
Must-own players are those who should be owned by someone in any league. Handcuff RBs can qualify, as they are often very important to a fantasy team over the full schedule. Sleepers are secondary players that you may find on the waiver wire at some point in the year, or may go undrafted in shallower auction-style leagues. The Longshots are players with microscopic ADP, who are being drafted at the very end of drafts, or more likely not drafted at all.
All ADP data is courtesy of FantasyPros.com.
**I will list all kickers, but I cannot give analysis on them. Sorry :-/
MUST OWNS
Christian McCaffery, RB (ADP: 31): McCaffery is one of the most interesting players in fantasy this offseason, with an ADP that suggests superstardom is in play. McCaffery is a rookie, entering an offense that was not among the elite last year, and which has a proven lead back in Jonathan Stewart. On the other hand, McCaffery is immediately the team’s most explosive weapon, capable of running the ball or functioning as a wide receiver, and he was taken inside the Top 10; that means Carolina plans on using him often and giving him a major role out of the gate. This isn’t easy; over the past two seasons at Stanford McCaffery churned out 4,577 yards from scrimmage and 29 touchdowns. But is he sturdy enough to take an NFL pounding, and will he get enough carries sharing the load with Stewart?
I believe he’s capable, but I would not make him the 15th running back off the board. This ADP is too rich for my blood.
Greg Olsen, TE (ADP: 51): Olsen is a rock at this position. He has topped 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, and played all 16 games for five consecutive seasons. He has never been an elite touchdown scorer, but last year’s three TDs were an outlier on the low end. Olsen’s currently the fourth TE off the board, and that’s about right. This ADP is fine; I personally like to wait a bit longer for this position, but Olsen will not make you regret your choice.
Cam Newton, QB (ADP: 73): ::rolls up sleeves:: okay, it’s time to talk about Cam Newton. Last year, when he was being taken first at the position in many drafts, was disappointing on every level. He threw for just 3,509 yards and 19 touchdowns, which is far below the level of elite fantasy QBs. Newton tends to make up for that gap with his superhuman rushing ability, but in 2016 he was no superhero. Newton rushed for 359 yards (a drop off of 277 yards) and five touchdowns, matching a career-low. Simply put, Cam was below average on a week-to-week basis, with his rushing output often salvaging a terrible game rather than taking him to the upper level. So what about this year?
I say screw last year, and take Newton if this is where he’s going. Yes, QB is a deep position where you can wait until the end and snatch up someone like Kirk Cousins who will be solid. With Cam, however, you can grab a guy with the potential to be No. 1 at the position – which he accomplished in 2015 – in Round 7 or 8. It’s not the end of the draft, but that value is much greater than nabbing a back-end Top 10 player in the late rounds. This ADP means there’s no risk anymore in getting Newton, and if you don’t feel totally comfortable, you can still scoop up a Philip Rivers-type with your third to last pick. I LOVE Newton in 2017.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR (ADP: 75): Like many of the Panthers’ fantasy options, Benjamin is uncertain. He looks the part, and at times plays like one of the most dominant offensive forces in the NFL. Over the first two weeks of 2016 Benjamin caught 13 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the season with 63 catches, fewer than 1,000 yards, and seven scores. He was shut out in Week 3 vs. Minnesota, and had a six-week stretch without a single touchdown. It was partially Newton’s struggles, but also seemed to reveal that Benjamin isn’t built to be a week-to-week WR ace. Now, he’s being taken 31st among WRs, and I think that’s okay. I also would probably look elsewhere; he’s sandwiched right now between Jamison Crowder and Larry Fitzgerald, and I’d definitely rather own Fitz. This is an acceptable ADP, but no slam dunk.
SLEEPERS
Jonathan Stewart, RB (ADP: 101): Stewart is a tremendous value here, and I’m far more likely to own him than McCaffery in 2017. J-Stew is approaching Frank Gore levels of unsexyness, but he is productive. Last year Stewart scored nine rushing touchdowns, and while McCaffery is going to eat into his workload, he’s unlikely to eat into Stewart’s goal line work. Stewart’s skills are deteriorating, but in Week 17 when you’re looking back on the season, you’ll find that he cobbled his way to solid RB2 value.
LONGSHOTS
Curtis Samuel, WR (ADP: 203): Samuel was a running back for three years at Ohio State, but he, like McCaffery, fits into what seems to be a new mold in Carolina of drafting superb athletes and using them in variable ways. Samuel is listed as a WR for the Panthers, and he may be able to resemble Terrelle Pryor, another Ohio State product. The competition for WR2 is wide open, and I think Samuel will burst the door down. This isn’t much of a passing offense, but Samuel will be able to do some damage as a once-in-a-while FLEX and cheap DraftKings play.
KICKER
Harrison Bukter or Graham Gano