Fantasy Football Player Notes

There have been 109 running back performances that have netted 25-plus half-PPR points over the last two years. Despite missing essentially the whole 2020 season, McCaffrey has accounted for 9.2 percent of them. He's somehow managed to score 25-plus points in 10 of his last 19 games, and has scored fewer than 19 fantasy points in just two of them. He's basically posting quarterback numbers as a running back. He should be the No. 1 pick in 2021 drafts.

There were just three receivers who finished with 93-plus yards in eight separate games last year. Calvin Ridley, Stefon Diggs, and... Moore. While the touchdowns were certainly lacking, there's something to be said about this stat and how undervalued Moore may be due to the lack of touchdowns. It was his first year in the offense, while Robby Anderson was brought in because he knew the offense. With Curtis Samuel out of town, we might see Moore in the slot far more often, which wouldn't be a bad thing. He's now finished with 1,175-plus yards in back-to-back seasons. It's only a matter of time before the touchdowns catch up. He's a solid WR2 to roster, who just might have top-12 upside if the touchdowns start to show up.

It's odd to say, but Anderson was somewhat of a Jarvis Landry-type fantasy asset last year. He finished with more than 15.5 half PPR points just twice, but he also scored fewer than 8.0 half PPR points just four times, offering a level of consistency we hadn't seen out of him. It's because they used him in the possession-style role with a shorter average depth of target than he was getting with the Jets. The Panthers lost Curtis Samuel in free agency, but gained Terrace Marshall in the draft, and will get Christian McCaffrey back from injury, so the loss of Samuel doesn't do a whole lot for projections. D.J. Moore started coming on more as the year went on, though the switch to Sam Darnold could prove to be a good thing for Anderson, who was Darnold's teammate with the Jets. It's still the same offense, and Anderson proved he's able to contribute in a big way, making him somewhat of a safe WR3/4 option with WR2 upside should Darnold favor him as the top option.

Ok, we're out of excuses for Darnold. It's now or never and he's getting his shot in Joe Brady's pass-friendly offense with some tremendous weapons. The one issue that remains, however, is that his offensive line is brutal. Despite that, Teddy Bridgewater was able to post 19-plus fantasy points in seven games last year, and that was while throwing just 15 touchdowns. The Panthers traded him for essentially nothing, and then passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones in the draft, so they clearly believe Darnold can be their long-term answer. I don't want to hold it against Darnold that he had to play for Adam Gase in two of his first three seasons, but at the same time, he's thrown more than two touchdowns in just three of his 38 career games to this point and offers minimal fantasy upside on the ground. Because of that, it's hard to see him as a true breakout performer this year, but he should be a great target in Superflex/2QB leagues because he's not going to lose the job anytime soon, so you have an every-week starter.

Had Hubbard entered the NFL Draft a year earlier, he may have gone in the second round. But that's not what happened. He returned to school and had a weak 2020 season, leading him to fall to the end of the fourth round. He's certainly not getting much playing time with Christian McCaffrey healthy, but he should be the clear-cut handcuff, which had plenty of value last year in this offense (Mike Davis). Unfortunately, the Panthers offensive line continues to get worse, and it's tough to say Sam Darnold is an upgrade at quarterback, making Hubbard a mediocre handcuff in fantasy.

The exit of Curtis Samuel frees up some targets in the offense, but don't forget that Christian McCaffrey missed most of last year, which allowed more targets to go to the wide receivers. We don't know how the Panthers will deploy Marshall, though it's certainly worth noting he has experience in this offense, as he played for Joe Brady at LSU. If they align him as the big slot, he can make more of an impact with Sam Darnold, who has always favored his targets over the middle of the field. If they put him on the perimeter, it'll be a lot tougher for him to produce immediately while behind D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and McCaffrey in the pecking order.

Slye isn't an elite kicker. He's converted just 79.4% of his field-goal attempts and 90.1% of his extra-point attempts in his career. That's not often good enough to hold down a job for long, and especially when you're 1-for-6 from 50 yards or more, as Slye was last year. He'll likely begin the year as the Panthers' closer, but he could certainly lose the job if he can't straighten out his accuracy.