Fantasy Football Team Preview: Panthers

Meet the ...
Team that really needs to develop a passing attack... The 2009 Carolina Panthers had two running backs that eclipsed 1,100 rushing yards and both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart averaged over five yards per carry. Unfortunately, these two were the only fantasy football standouts on the team. Quarterback Jake Delhomme threw 18 interceptions and had a 59.4 quarterback rating before making way for Matt Moore, and the team did not have a 1,000-yard receiver. Delhomme is no longer with the team and the Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen and Brandon LaFell early to try to bolster the passing game.

The Panthers are going to attempt to find a quarterback -- whether it's Moore or Clausen is yet to be determined -- who can turn Steve Smith into a viable threat once again. The team also hopes that one of the receivers in camp steps up to be a solid target opposite of Smith.

The Breakout
The Panthers have been looking for a legitimate No. 2 receiver for some time now, and may have found it in 2010 third-round pick from LSU, Brandon LaFell. The 6-foot-2 receiver has big, soft hands but has been knocked for lack of concentration during his senior season. The troubles he had in 2009 don't seem to have followed him to training camp as LaFell has impressed the coaching staff with how quickly he's picked up the playbook and his ability to make plays on the field. He's been asked to run more and more with the first team during drills and has a good chance of breaking camp as the team's WR2.

The Bust
Much has been made about the Panthers rushing attack and the fact that they had two 1,100-yard rushers in the same season. Forget about the record-setting portion of that feat and consider why it happened: Jonathan Stewart was forced into action at the end of the season because DeAngelo Williams went down with injury. Stewart amassed 589 rushing yards in the final five games of the season without Williams around to get his share of the carries. In 2010, Williams will be healthy and back in his starting role. You need to realize this on fantasy draft day. If you use a high draft pick on Stewart thinking he'll put up the same numbers from last year, you're gambling that he'll have an opportunity to carry the ball as much as he did in 2009. That just won't happen unless Williams goes down with an injury. Do you really want to waste a high pick on someone that needs an injury ahead of him to excel?

The Depth Chart
QB1 - Matt Moore
QB2 - Hunter Cantwell / Jimmy Clausen
RB1 - DeAngelo Williams
RB2 - Jonathan Stewart
RB3 - Mike Goodson
WR1 - Steve Smith
WR2 - Dwayne Jarrett / Brandon LaFell
WR3 - Dwayne Jarrett / Brandon LaFell
WR4 - Kenny Moore / Wallace Wright
WR5 - Kenny Moore / Wallace Wright
TE1 - Jeff King
K - John Kasay

The D/ST
The Carolina defense allowed teams to rush for 124.8 yards per game against them and lost a large group of defensive stars led by Julius Peppers. This team is in full-on rebuilding mode and is not a team that you should consider on draft day for your fantasy football team. Those poor numbers that you saw in 2009 will not get any better in 2010.

The Skinny
• Sure the Panthers grabbed Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the draft, but he's going to have to wait for a while to take over at quarterback. Matt Moore will start the season at the helm and Clausen will have to work to take over. He may, actually, have to work to pass Hunter Caldwell for the backup job.

• Steve Smith is recovering from a fractured arm but has screamed to anyone who will listen that he'll be back in time for the regular season opener. In fact, most people feel he'll be back a week or two before the season begins. It's safe to draft him as you would knowing he'll play all 16 games. He's not an injury risk.

• Kenny Moore has also been impressive in camp, subbing for the injured Steve Smith. It's going to be him or Brandon LaFell at the WR2 spot, but even if he doesn't win the job, he'll get a lot of targets this season. If you trust that Matt Moore can expand the passing game in Carolina, Moore could be a great late-round sleeper.