Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers won't be running the read option any more or less than previous years, according to head coach Ron Rivera.
Cam Newton, Panthers, won’t run read-option to excess, fantasy upside and downside remain
Despite key losses on offense, the Panthers won’t be calling Cam Newton’s number to rush more than usual. We break down the fantasy implications.
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It's fair to wonder if the Panthers will have to get more creative on offense in order to compensate for losing 2014's leading receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, to an ACL injury. While that's certainly the case, it won't be the read option plays that they choose to deploy, and will instead rely on a receiving corps comprising Greg Olsen, Devin Funchess and Jerricho Cotchery.
Per The Charlotte Observer’s Jonathan Jones:
“I don’t think we’re going to do any more than we’ve done in the past,” Rivera said. “The thing we’re waiting for is for Devin (Funchess) to be healthy and get him out on the football field. He runs a lot of the same type of routes (as Kelvin). He’s almost as imposing a target as Kelvin and the biggest thing with him is the confidence that he plays with as he develops.”
Fantasy Spin: With the loss of Benjamin, and with fantasy owners high on quarterbacks like Ryan Tannehill and Eli Manning, Cam Newton is falling out of the QB1 conversation, as evidenced by his average draft position. Newton is being taken as the 15th quarterback off the board, although his running ability certainly gives him an upside that other quarterbacks can't provide.
Though it may not be the preference of the Panthers to use Newton more often on running plays, they may have to if the passing game sputters. Newton remains a high-upside, low-downside QB2.
