NFL fantasy football players will feel the impact of Panthers losing Christian McCaffrey for rest of 2021 season. The loss could be a boon to those looking for sleeper running backs and wide receivers with potential, as well as an advantage for those trying to buy low on every-down workhorse backs like LeSean McCoy or Jonathan Stewart.
Christian McCaffrey is a running back for the Carolina Panthers. He was drafted in 2018 and has been one of the best players on the team since his rookie season. However, he will be out for the rest of this year because of an injury that occurred during training camp. This means that there could be big changes in fantasy football leagues if you are drafting players from the Carolina Panthers.
The Carolina Panthers have put star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve for the second time in the 2021 NFL season. McCaffrey’s much-maligned season will, unfortunately, finish with him being put on it again.
The Panthers will be forced to play the next five games of the season without their finest player after he sustained a season-ending ankle injury against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
McCaffrey missed five games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury, but returned to the field briefly and looked as if he hadn’t missed a step – now, the former Stanford star will be relegated to the bench for the second consecutive season as he attempts to regain his health in time for the 2022 season.
McCaffrey’s injury has major fantasy football ramifications, particularly for teams who used their first overall pick on the dual-threat option. With such a high draft selection thrown away for the remainder of the year, healthy members of Carolina might anticipate a few implications.
TD-reliant backup = Chuba Hubbard
When McCaffrey was sidelined with an injury earlier this year, Oklahoma State freshman Chuba Hubbard took over as the bell cow, running for two touchdowns and receiving 100 total touches in five games. In the absence of CMC, it makes the most sense for Hubbard to get the lion’s share of the touches.
While that is true, the Panthers have a difficult schedule for running backs in the second half of the season, making it difficult even for McCaffrey.
The Panthers play the Falcons, Bills, and Saints once after their Week 13 bye, as well as the Buccaneers and their league-best running defense twice. In Week 8, Hubbard had success against Atlanta, gaining 82 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts.
It won’t be easy, but Hubbard’s fantasy football worth will be determined by his ability to get into the end zone, especially considering their opponents’ aversion to successful rushing days.
Cam Newton and DJ Moore need to get back into shape.
The offense will be pushed to become more passing-oriented, but with Cam Newton’s recent difficulties (and benching), it might be difficult for this club to have a decent offense.
Newton connected with old buddy DJ Moore for a touchdown in his first game back with the Panthers, which was Moore’s first trip to the end zone since Week 4. Moore’s fantasy football breakthrough season was hampered by the instability of QB performance between Sam Darnold and PJ Walker, a something that Newton will presumably address.
Moore and Robby Anderson have also suffered significant drops in their performances this season, indicating that decision-making seems to be a fault of all possibilities in the Panthers’ QB room.
Newton’s rushing ability gives him a high ceiling, but he also has to be able to pass the ball to help open up those ground opportunities. Moore’s early-season form requires head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady to reinvest the offensive approach in Moore and his talent.
The Panthers will have a difficult time replacing McCaffrey’s output in this offense, and although it won’t happen overnight, Hubbard, Moore, and Newton will all play critical roles in keeping this team’s playoff hopes alive, even if they are already thin.
Bottom line for fantasy football rosters: if you’re counting on Hubbard to fill in for CMC, don’t hold your breath. Newton has shown that he is far from invincible, but as he and Moore strive to rebuild their connection, they should be able to return to their former rank of low-QB1 and high-WR2.
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The “christian mccaffrey fantasy points 2020” is the number of points that Christian McCaffrey will be worth in a standard league. If he were to get injured, his team would lose a lot of production.
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