For the second time in the 2021 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers have placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injury reserve. Unfortunately, McCaffrey’s much-maligned season will end with him being placed on it this time.
After having suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, the Panthers will be forced to press on for their final five games of the season without their best player on the field.
McCaffrey missed five games earlier this year with a hamstring injury, but briefly had returned to the field and looked like he had never missed a step – now, the former Stanford star will be relegated to the bench for the second consecutive season as he looks to regain his health for the 2022 season.
McCaffrey’s injury has big-time implications on fantasy football, especially for the rosters that invested their first overall selection on the dual-threat option. With such a high draft pick thrown away for the rest of the year, here are a few ramifications to expect from healthy members of Carolina.
Chuba Hubbard = TD-reliant backup
When McCaffrey was out with his injury earlier this year, the bell cow role fell into the lap of Oklahoma State rookie Chuba Hubbard, who recorded two rushing scores and overall 100 total touches during that five-game stretch. Inefficient at times, it makes the most sense for Hubbard to earn the lion's share of the touches in CMC’s absence.
While that may be true, the Panthers have a tough schedule for running backs as they finish out the season, which would make it tough even for McCaffrey.
After their Week 13 bye, the Panthers face the Falcons, Bills, and Saints once, as well as the Buccaneers and their league-best rushing defense twice. Hubbard did have success against Atlanta in Week 8, turning 24 carries into 82 yards and a score.
It won’t be easy, but Hubbard’s fantasy football value will rely on his ability to get into the end zone, seeing as how their opponents are not too keen on allowing successful rushing days.
Cam Newton & DJ Moore must regain their old form
The offense will be forced into becoming more passing focused, but with Cam Newton’s recent struggles (and benching), it may become very tough for this team to field a competent offensive attack.
In Newton’s first game back with the Panthers, he connected with old friend DJ Moore for a score, which was Moore’s first trip to the end zone since Week 4. The inconsistency of QB play, between Sam Darnold and PJ Walker, hurt Moore’s fantasy football breakout season, an element that Newton can hopefully improve.
But decision-making seems to be a shortcoming of all options in the QB room for the Panthers, as Moore and Robby Anderson have both seen considerable downticks in their outputs this season.
Newton’s rushing abilities provide him with a high ceiling, but he must be able to throw the ball to help open up those chances on the ground. And as Moore looks to regain his early-season form, head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady must look to reinvest the offensive attack into Moore and his skillset.
The Panthers are going to going to be hard-pressed to make up for McCaffrey’s production in this offense, and while it certainly will not happen overnight, Hubbard, Moore, and Newton all will have crucial roles in helping keep this team’s postseason chances afloat, even with as slim as they already are.
Bottom line for your fantasy football rosters – if trusting Hubbard to fill in for CMC, lower your expectations. Newton has shown that he is still far from bulletproof, but hopefully, as he and Moore work to regain their relationship from years past, they both can resume that low-QB1 and high-WR2 status they both should be at.
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