Panthers Beat: Cameron Artis-Payne's time could be coming

Nov 21, 2015

Cameron Artis-Payne, the rookie out of Auburn, has been inactive the past two games and hasn’t played in three straight. His only carry since getting eight carries for 25 yards in an October 4 win at Tampa Bay was the one carry he had for no yards in the Sunday night game against Philadelphia. He got that because Stewart asked for a break.

The Panthers want to get Artis-Payne experience under fire, but he’s behind Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert. That Stewart has been durable and is valuable in terms of blocking as well as running has made it tough to get him off the field. Even Tolbert's carries are way down. But to assure Stewart is fresh for the playoffs (assuming there is not a major collapse), I look for Artis-Payne to get more involved once the Panthers lock down a playoff spot.

Fantasy Impact:

With a three-game lead over Atlanta in the NFC South, that could happen over the next three games if Carolina continues to win, the story said. Coach Ron Rivera has said several times that he wants to get Artis-Payne more reps and give Stewart a break. Stewart has five straight games with 20 or more carries, the story added. Owners doing the math may now notice Stewart's workload dropping could be during fantasy playoff time, so this is certainly something to monitor.

Apr 17

Chargers to sign RB J.K. Dobbins on one-year deal

Tom Pelissero

Apr 17 · 7:45 PM EDT

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is planning to sign with the #Chargers on a one-year deal. Electric when healthy, Dobbins — who averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career — reunites with OC Greg Roman and can hit the market again in March.

Related Players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has had poor injury luck in his career, but has only managed 234 total rushes since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Chargers and might give them a runway to wait a little longer in the '24 Draft before they address the position.

Apr 16

Cowboys sign RB Royce Freeman

Todd Archer

Apr 16 · 8:15 PM EDT

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Apr 15

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year extension

Ian Rapoport

Apr 15 · 10:45 AM EDT

The Eagles have paid another big-time, rising player. This time, WR DeVonta Smith gets a 3-year, $75M contract extension that includes $51M guaranteed.

Related Players: A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole. Smith will continue his 1b role in which he finished the 2023 season as fantasy's WR22.