An improved receiving corps gives Cam Newton some nice QB1 potential in 2015

Here’s the latest in our team preview series, a look at the 2015 Carolina Panthers.

2014 Team Record: 7-8-1

Key players: Cam Newton (QB), Kelvin Benjamin (WR), Greg Olsen (TE), Panthers D/ST

Notable offseason additions: Ted Ginn Jr. (WR), Devin Funchess (WR)

In a strange twist of fate, a team with a losing record ended up winning their division in 2014. That distinction belonged to the Carolina Panthers, whose last day reprieve against the Atlanta Falcons was enough to propel them to the NFC South crown. They even went on to win a playoff game in Arizona, before moving on to Seattle where they met their season’s end.

But their triumphs last year were largely down to a solid defense. Led by All-Pro Luke Kuechly, the Panthers had a top-ten defense that kept them in a lot of games. But even that didn’t translate into fantasy points, and their D/ST finished 19th overall. As a matter of fact, the only starting caliber fantasy player in Carolina was tight end Greg Olsen. But can the Panthers give a better fantasy showing this time around? Let’s take a look.

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Quarterback

The task of manning the quarterback position in Charlotte belongs to former number one overall pick Cam Newton.  Statistically speaking, Newton had the worst year of his NFL career in 2014. Lows in games played, yards, touchdowns and completions and a career-high fumble total didn’t help his cause. Although, there were improvements in completion percentage and a decrease in interceptions.

Perhaps the biggest threat to his game coming into last season was the loss of the team’s top four wide receivers. Steve Smith was released, and Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon all left for new pastures. Kelvin Benjamin did step into the fold, but it was unreasonable to expect him to make up for the losses as a rookie. But now the two-time BCS National Champion will have an improved cast to throw to, including a returning Ginn and former Green Bay Packer Jarrett Boykin.

If Newton stays healthy for the entire season (and having missed only two games in four years that seems a real possibility), then he is most certainly a mid-round pick up with QB1 potential.

Running Back

Running back is clearly the weakest unit that the Carolina Panthers possess. They have a slightly above-average offensive line when it comes to the run blocking game, but their rushers are less than spectacular. The group is led by former first round pick Jonathan Stewart, whose career has never really panned out according to his draft position. There’s also Fozzy Whittaker, Jordan Todman, Darrin Reaves and Mike Tolbert – but let’s face it, none of these players are going to help your fantasy team. Moving on…

Wide Receiver

Wide receiver was a position of need for the Panthers heading into the 2014 season, and it turned out to be mediocre at best. The fact that it was even as good as mediocre was because of Kelvin Benjamin, who provided solid WR2 production over the year. But the next best receiver, Jerricho Cotchery, had just 580 yards and a single touchdown. The rest, well their statistics aren’t even worth mentioning.

This year probably won’t be much different. Benjamin will be starting caliber and you shouldn’t feel guilty about picking him up in the fifth or sixth round. After him, there’s a huge dropoff. Newcomer Jarrett Boykin could be an option. In 2013, he had 681 receiving yards and three touchdowns playing behind Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson in Green Bay, and if he can rediscover that form, then he could become an option down the line. Cotchery, Ginn, Corey Brown or even rookie Devin Funchess could play a significant part in the Panthers’ receiving game – but that only becomes a reasonable scenario if Benjamin misses time through injury.

Tight End

Greg Olsen is one of the best tight ends in the league at the moment, although that isn’t saying much. While 1,008 receiving yards and six touchdowns are good totals, they aren’t in the Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham range. There were only three tight ends better than Olsen in fantasy football last year, and so it would be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and break the bank for him.

While he’ll still fill the tight end void on any team, Olsen could see a drop in production if those WRs begin to emerge as serious threats to his targets. Nabbing him in the sixth round or later should see a suitable points return. Oh, and let’s not forget Ed Dickson. While he’s behind Olsen on the depth chart, he’ll be the contingency plan if anything happens to the former Chicago Bear.

Kicker

Graham Gano is one of those kickers who’ll still be around in the last couple of rounds. He isn’t a week-in, week-out starter, but he’ll plug holes where necessary and should provide acceptable cover in bye weeks. He will be nice to have on the bench as an insurance policy, so only take him if you’re comfortable with the rest of the roster and there’s no one better available.

Defense/Special Teams

It’s surprising that the Panthers D/ST was less than average last season, considering their fearsome defense.  They registered less than 20 sacks, gave up the 12th-most points and were in the bottom half for returning kicks and punts. They’ve also lost Greg Hardy to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, and so their impotence up front looks set to continue. Still, they’re marshalled by Luke Kuechly who is one of the league’s best players, and should be worth a look if they have a favorable matchup. Avoid drafting them, however.

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Tom Woods is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Tom, check out his archive and follow him @RealTomWoods.