Pressed into starting action after normal No. 1 running back DeAngelo Williams was inactive with a thigh injury, Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart didn't run wild, but he did manage a touchdown. Stewart got 15 carries in Carolina's 24-7 win over the Detroit Lions.
Jonathan Stewart scores TD to salvage his fantasy day
The Panthers’ fill-in starting running back didn’t break any big plays, but did manage to score Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
Streeter Lecka
Stewart only ran for 37 yards on those 15 carries, adding a single 22-yard reception for 59 total yards. His touchdown came on a 2-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. Behind Stewart, fullback Mike Tolbert had four carries for negative-5 yards, and caught three passes for 33.
Fantasy impact: There are always two problems for Carolina running backs. The first is that there are three of them -- Williams, Stewart, Tolbert -- who get touches when healthy. That one was somewhat out of play Sunday, with Williams sidelined. The other problem is the running abilities of quarterback Cam Newton. That, too, was muted Sunday, with Newton just back from injury himself.
In other words, the situation was just about perfect for Stewart to be productive in the game, and while he did score, he still managed only 2.5 yards per carry. While Williams is out, Stewart isn’t worth a lot in fantasy, and when the starter returns, he’s worth even less.
