It’s been just over a year since Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL, wiping out his 2015 season before it even began. Benjamin is back healthy, but his training camp has been less than stellar.
Kelvin Benjamin being limited in camp, fantasy owners should be cautious
Still working his way back from a torn ACL, Kelvin Benjamin is being brought along slowly in camp. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Head coach Ron Rivera admitted that Benjamin is struggling with his conditioning and they’re bringing him along slowly. “We’d like to see his reps increase, and by the time we’re done (with the preseason) we’d like to see him get 30-35 reps and we’ll see what happens,” Rivera told reporters on Sunday.
Meanwhile, second-year receiver Devin Funchess has been impressive in camp, to the point where ESPN’s David Newton believes that he could outproduce Benjamin this season. Funchess, a second-round pick in 2015, played only a bit role in his rookie year.
Fantasy impact: Cam Newton won the MVP award without Benjamin last year, so fantasy owners are naturally excited to see the receiver back in the Panthers’ offense. That said, his ADP has been over-aggressive, going as high as the third round in standard leagues. That’s a steep price to pay for someone who hasn’t played football in 12 months and wasn’t all that impressive in 2014, despite nine touchdowns. Benjamin is far from a proven commodity and fantasy players would be wise to let someone else overdraft him. Funchess is a sneaky post-hype sleeper with room for growth.
