The Week 13 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints features two division rivals with very different outlooks on the second half of the season. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 13: Panthers-Saints featuring Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart and Drew Brees
We break down the Week 13 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.
Carolina Panthers
Can anybody stop Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers? So far the answer to that question is a resounding no. Newton didn’t even need to throw a touchdown pass to beat the Dallas Cowboys last week. That’s because Luke Kuechly and the defense helped him out, and also because Newton scored himself. Nobody in the NFL has given up more fantasy points to quarterbacks than the New Orleans Saints, so it’s safe to say that Newton is a worthy fantasy starter in Week 13, and that the Carolina Panthers are likely to keep their undefeated season alive for another day.
If it just so happens Newton struggles to run the ball himself, teammate Jonathan Stewart will have to do the dirty work. Stewart rushed for just 68 yards on 21 attempts against the Cowboys last week. It was a tougher matchup and frankly the Panthers didn’t really need him to produce. This week however, he’s facing a New Orleans defense that has given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs in the league. The Panthers should be all over the Saints in general in Week 13.
New Orleans Saints
Let’s face it. New Orleans is just playing out the season at this point. While that doesn’t mean quarterback Drew Brees is going to take it easy on opponents, he faces the unfortunate prospect of going up against two stellar defensive teams in a row. Last week it was the Houston Texans and this week it’s the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, Brees failed to throw a touchdown for the first time this season last week, and this week he faces a Panthers defense that was all over the Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo on the road. It might be wise for fantasy owners to consider starting someone else a quarterback this week, but you never know when Brees is going to put up a game, which he can seemingly do on a whim.
If Brees gets bottled up by the Panthers, however, he will need to rely on running back Mark Ingram to try to make an impact. Ingram hasn’t rushed for huge yardage totals this season, but he can contribute via the passing game as well. Last week he totaled 97 yards on 15 touches. He may get more receiving yards against the Panthers than rushing yards if Brees is forced to throw underneath. That makes him a decent option in Week 13.
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SB Nation presents: Cam Newton dabs all over Washington
