The Carolina Panthers could not put much together on offense Thursday night as they dropped to 3-5-1 with a 28-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers didn't even make it on the scoreboard until the third quarter.
Cam Newton, Kelvin Benjamin disappoint fantasy owners in Panthers loss
The Panthers scored just 10 points in a poor Thursday night showing. We break down the fantasy implications.
Grant Halverson
Week 9 turned out to be one of the worst games of Cam Newton's career, which did not bode well for the rest of the offense. Let's take a look at the fantasy performances from the Panthers.
Cam Newton: He was wildly inefficient, completing 10 of 28 passes for 151 yards and one interception. Newton rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown to help his cause, but he also fumbled on a strip sack in the second quarter that led to a Saints touchdown. Newton's offensive line looked awful at times, but his accuracy was shaky even with decent protection. Kelvin Benjamin dropped a pass that would've been a touchdown, but Newton also later overthrew his 6'5 receiver by a few feet on a wide open route again in the end zone. The Panthers face the Eagles and Falcons next, two terrific matchups for Newton to bounce back in.
Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams: The Panthers backfield worked out of a rotation and failed to help any fantasy owners out in Week 9. Williams got the start, but finished with just 20 yards on eight carries. He did add a 30-yard reception to his stats for the night. Stewart averaged 5.8 yards per carry, rushing for 46 yards on eight touches. Both running backs have limited upside while they're working out of a committee.
Kelvin Benjamin: If you're a Benjamin owner, you might just want to skip ahead. The rookie wide receiver caught just two of 10 targets for 18 yards against the Saints. As mentioned above, he dropped a sure touchdown in the end zone. He was also well overthrown on several occasions by Newton. The poor stat line actually opens the door for fantasy owners to buy-low on Benjamin, as he has an ideal schedule going forward into the playoffs. Benjamin will face the Eagles, Falcons, Buccaneers and Browns in the second half of the season. He remains a top 15 play at wide receiver.
Greg Olsen: Another game with limited involvement, Olsen caught three passes for 30 yards on only four targets. He has seven targets over the past two weeks, and as Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer pointed out, Olsen seemed surprised by his workload again. Even with back-to-back duds, Olsen is still on pace for 90 receptions and 10 touchdowns. He's a top 5-6 tight end for the rest of the year.
