Injuries have depleted the Carolina Panthers at running back, to the point where they have to turn to an undrafted rookie who wasn't even on the 53-man roster at the start of the regular season. Head coach Ron Rivera confirmed that Darrin Reaves will be the starter for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. The Panthers signed veteran Chris Ogbonnaya to back him up.
Darrin Reaves new starting RB for Panthers, has low fantasy value
Undrafted rookie Darrin Reaves is the next man up in Carolina’s depleted running back corps. We break down the fantasy implications.
Larry French
An undrafted free agent out of UAB, Reaves got signed from the practice squad when Carolina's first wave of injuries hit. He was pressed into action last week when DeAngelo Williams went down with a sprained ankle. He finished with 37 total yards on 15 touches in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Williams joins Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert and Fozzy Whittaker on the injury report.
Fantasy impact: There's a chance the Panthers would try to rush back Stewart, but for now, Reaves is the main man in the backfield. Standing in at 5'7, 209 pounds, he clocked a 4.54 40 time at UAB's pro day. His talent doesn't jump off the page, but someone needs to get the carries, especially with Cam Newton still hobbled. Reaves is a favorite to get around 15 touches, which would give him flex value against the Bears' leaky run defense. He's worth picking up in 14- and 16-team leagues.
