Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams has his injured ankle in a hard cast, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer. Williams was in a walking boot earlier in the week, and now with the cast it's essentially guaranteed that he'll miss some time -- potentially multiple games. Williams sustained a high ankle sprain in his last outing.
DeAngelo Williams in hard cast, Jonathan Stewart could play in Week 5; fantasy value low for both
Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are injured, though the latter seems likely to play in Week 5. We break down the fantasy implications.
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The Panthers' running back situation is kind of a mess at this point. Fozzy Whittaker was also injured at one point, Mike Tolbert is injured and Jonathan Stewart, the primary backup, is also dealing with a knee injury. Darrin Reaves and Chris Ogbonnaya may be the only players close to 100 percent on the running back depth chart, and neither inspires a whole lot of confidence.
It's worth noting, however, that head coach Ron Rivera is hopeful that Stewart can play in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears, according to Ed Werder of ESPN. Stewart practiced at the end of last week before being declared inactive, and he'll likely practice more this week.
Fantasy Impact: We previously recommended getting out of the Panthers running back business altogether and stand by that recommendation. Williams and Stewart are both the definition of “injury-prone” and none of the other guys figures to offer much fantasy value. If you’re sticking to one of them, however, then Stewart seems likely to play and start.
