C.J. Anderson

McCaffrey is in place as the starter, but let's not forget that Jonathan Stewart was still effective and received plenty of carries in this same role last season. Anderson is the better running back at this point in his and Stewart's careers and may earn additional touches as he finds his way in this offense.

C.J. Anderson signs with Panthers

According to Pro Football Talk, the Panthers have agreed to terms with free agent running back C.J. Anderson.

Fantasy Impact

This was something that we thought might be the case after the Panthers didn't use a pick on an early-down running back to replace Jonathan Stewart. Most don't realize that Stewart touched the ball 206 times last year, which included 198 carries, enough to rank 19th in the NFL in front of guys like Devonta Freeman and DeMarco Murray. There's never been much to question with Anderson's ability on first- and second-down, as he's one of the better grinders in those situations, however his health has always been the concern. Entering a timeshare with Christian McCaffrey might be the best thing for Anderson's outlook, as he's likely to walk into 175-200 carries, which would mean he'll be in the RB3/flex conversation most weeks. The good news is that you'll likely get him at a discount with most expecting McCaffrey to take on a bigger role in 2018, though we're hesitant to believe that because Ron Rivera himself has said they didn't want McCaffrey to be toting the ball 18-20 per game, as it's not what he's best-suited for.