Carolina Panthers running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert will not play in the Panthers preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to head coach Ron Rivera per Joe Person on Twitter. Stewart was carted off of the field on Sunday with a twisted ankle, while Tolbert is suffering from a quad injury. Rivera did add that if this were a regular season game, they would play. Wide receiver Steve Smith could be back at practice as soon as Sunday.
Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert Out Against Steelers: Fantasy Implications
Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert will miss the final Panthers preseason game. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Fantasy Implications: Is an injury ever good news for fantasy owners? The Panthers backfield has been a source of some frustration as DeAngelo Williams, Stewart, and Cam Newton already shared carries last season and so Stewart finished with 761 yards and just four touchdowns, while Newton had 14. Now Tolbert will presumably come in and take away touchdowns from all of them and so nobody is left with a high fantasy value in the backfield, unless one or two of them were to miss some games. As of now, it looks like everybody will be healthy for week one.
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