Dynasty Capsule: Carolina Panthers

Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the regular season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.

Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”

The 2015 NFC Champions have looked the part of a truly dominant football team this season. Cam Newton has bloomed into a spectacular player and leader for the team. What has made Newton’s 2015 campaign even more impressive? He has done it with nearly no ‘dynasty’ talent around him. This team feels very much like the New England teams that don’t need a star at every position, or even at any position other than quarterback. Newton, much like Tom Brady, seems to get the most out of every player on the field. Unlike Brady, Newton’s Panthers are having more fun than a pool party while they play the game. As a fan, it’s really fun to watch!

The Panthers could be the next dynasty in the NFL. If they get talent, look out. In the meantime however, this team capsule is going to focus on the minimal talent they currently have and the wonder that is Cam Newton.

Quarterback

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Cam Newton

The 2011 overall number one pick has been on the war path all year. On top of that, everyone on the Panthers team looks like they are having as much fun as Cam. In a NFL world where no players seem to acknowledge how great some of their performances are, Cam isn’t that humble guy. He speaks his mind and enjoys his victories on the field. I personally love Cam and wish more players would acknowledge their greatness, and even brag a little bit. It’s refreshing in an NFL where having an ‘ego’ is something negative, and answering “we are onto next week” is the most common way to not acknowledge the moment publicly.

In dynasty, Newton is my number two overall quarterback. With only Andrew Luck higher in my rankings, Cam is another season like 2015 away from jumping Luck to the number one overall position. Cam outright won people leagues this year and is poised to keep doing it for the next decade.

His dynasty value is a mid-first round in a 1QB league and he is going to be one of the top three picks in any superflex startup. In superflex, his value sits at three-four good first round picks. Regardless of this price, I am still not interested in selling Cam. He’s the kind of player I build my dynasty teams around. I recommend you build around him as well.

Running Back

Jonathan Stewart

The 28-year old back finally got his shot in 2015. Between injuries and the Panthers insisting on a three-headed monster in the past, Stewart’s fantasy value remained tepid going into 2015. I bought him in nearly every league this off-season on the cheap, and was rewarded handsomely for it. Stewart rushed for nearly 1000 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 while missing three games.

Going into 2016, I still view Stewart as a dynasty buy. He has a stable contract and situation while his injury-ridden reputation is inflated and replayed in the fantasy market. He’s not a sexy dynasty acquisition, but he’s the kind of guy who will win you leagues for the next two-three years when healthy.

His value has climbed from a mid-second round pick last off-season to a late first this off-season. I’d recommend finding an owner who wants to ‘cash-out’ on this high season. I’ll gladly pay a late first for Stewart in nearly every format.

Cameron Artis-Payne

Artis-Payne is a rookie, but he’s also going to be 26 this upcoming season. Did you hear me? He’s going to be 26 in June. I’ll wait for you to check the internet… …. … OMG he is going to be 26!

Alright, that was a bit of tomfoolery, but I wanted to prove a point because I feel like that isn’t highlighted enough when talking about Artis-Payne. He hasn’t proven anything in the league, and looked uninspiring in his opportunities with Stewart out. Usually, I wouldn’t indict the guy if he were 22 but at his age, I think there’s a very solid chance that Artis-Payne never blossoms before age catches up with him.

The Panthers likely won’t address running back this off-season so there’s an opportunity for him if Stewart goes down in 2016, but that’s really the only reason I’d advocate for having him on my team at all. He’s purely a handcuff in my eyes and will likely be 28 by the time he ever gets a chance to be a ‘bell-cow’.

In dynasty, he is a hold for me unless I get offered more than market value for him from a Stewart owner. I place his value at a late second. If you are a Stewart owner with little running back depth, it could be worth it to purchase Artis-Payne but realize you are paying for situation and insurance not talent.

Wide Receiver

Kelvin Benjamin

Kelvin tore his ACL in the preseason coming off a very impressive 2014 campaign. Benjamin is going to be healthy again for the 2016 off-season and I expect him to maintain his 2014 value in the off-season. He will slip back into the role of number one target in Carolina as no other pass catcher looked half as impressive as Benjamin.

From a dynasty side, Benjamin is a third round startup pick and has a value of an early first. I expect his value to climb as the off-season starts rolling. Owners tend to downgrade injured players until they start seeing those blurbs cross the internet. Benjamin is going to be 25 this season as well. The age doesn’t bug me as much as his rookie inefficiency. If he can figure out how to cure his stone hands, he could knock on the WR1 door in 2016. He will get every opportunity.

Benjamin is a buy at a mid first round pick if you can find it. I am a buyer at any price cheaper than 1.05 in the off-season.

Devin Funchess

‘Bunches of Funchess’ had a lack luster 2015 season. After the 2014 rookie class of wide receivers just busted out of the gate, we forget that sometimes it takes talent time to emerge in the NFL. Funchess didn’t hop right into the Benjamin role as some experts predicted, but showed moments of flash. This season didn’t change your opinion about him. If you loved him in the off-season, you probably still love him and think he’ll have a sophomore break-out. If you hated him, he did exactly what you expected.

I’m not high on Funchess, but I’m not quite as polarizing as the community seems to be. I’m very lukewarm on him but interested in him developing in an NFL supporting role next season. I’ll be keeping my eye on him but I didn’t like him on tape and I haven’t seen anything to change that.

Funchess is a hold if you have him. As with polarizing players, most owners are high on him while many leaguemates are just out-right not interested in him. His value is a mid-second round pick which is where he was drafted in the rookie drafts. His upside is higher than that, but he could also completely bottom out if he doesn’t flash this next season.

Ted Ginn Jr.

I know two things about Ted Ginn Jr. He is fast. He’s very, very fast. Ginn also can’t catch the football. Some of the drops this year have been truly painful to watch. He is the original Cordarrelle Patterson in my eyes. He’s spectacular with the ball in his hands, but a nightmare to get the ball there. In that same vein, he doesn’t belong on the field as an every down receiver. I think the Panthers agree with me but are so devoid of receiving talent, they had no choice but to keep trying to feed him the ball.

In 2016, I assume he will go back to the shadows of kick returning. I don’t believe Ginn has any dynasty value, but I do believe someone might buy him based off numbers alone. If I can get anything for him, I will sell him. I’d target trying to get a third round pick. I’d sell for any third round pick.

Tight End

Greg Olsen

I will never understand why people don’t value Olsen higher. He is another player that I own in nearly every league. He has been the only real receiving threat the Panthers had this year and put up the numbers. Olsen put up 1100 yards and seven touchdowns this season, and had some great one-handed catches.

He is going into his age 31 season, but his age doesn’t scare me. As Antonio Gates and Heath Miller have proved, tight ends can stay productive just based off size and route running. I could see Olsen putting up TE1 numbers for the next eight years but I think he’s a lock to do it for another three-four years.

I’m a buyer of Olsen at his valuation. I recommend playing up his age to the other owner. His value is a late first but I would give anything worse than the 1.07 for him. He will be a lock to start every week in your TE spot for the next four years.

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