Carolina Panthers

Panthers Start or Sit: Week 13

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Coming off of a lost in Oakland, the Carolina Panthers turn their attention to the second team on the west coast swing…

This week, the Carolina Panthers face another very tough west coast matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

Against the Seahawks last season at CenturyLink Field, a late strike to Greg Olsen ended up proving to be the winner with the Panthers moving to 5-0. That was last year and this season has ultimately proven to be a different tale with the Panthers sitting at 4-7 and a plethora of injuries. Veteran center Ryan Kalil and his backup Gino Gradkowski were both put on season ending Injured Reserve, leaving Tyler Larsen as the starter for Sunday’s contest. Also of note for Carolina is that Pro-Bowl safety Kurt Coleman has entered concussion protocol, and is out for Sunday’s game as well.

Nov 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Carolina Panthers guard Tyler Larsen (69) walks through the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum tunnel during a NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Panthers defeated the Rams 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

For Seattle, most of the injured stars of the defense are expected to return Sunday night. Both Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett were full practice participants this week, however running back C.J. Prosise is doubtful with a shoulder injury. The running game isn’t expected to take a hit though, as Thomas Rawls will assume the majority of workload.

Defensive statistics for the Seahawks are sound and sturdy. Seattle ranks 10th best in total passing yards allowed, and 13th in total running yards allowed. A big area of concern for Carolina will be taking care of the football, as Seattle ranks fifth best in turnover differential with a plus five rating.

This past week, the Panthers held practice at San Jose State opting to stay on the west coast instead of traveling back to Charlotte. Cam Newton looked forward to the challenge and stated his motivation earlier in the week, “Winning. Same as it’s always been and same as it always will be. Just finding ways to win.”

In order to find ways to win, players will have to step up, which players can fantasy owners start in their lineups and receive a nice return?

START:

RB, Jonathan Stewart- This past week, Jonathan Stewart snapped a streak of some poor performances and found the endzone twice. In all, Stewart finished the day with 96 yards on 17 carries against Oakland. Last year against Seattle, Stewart had a similar week with two total touchdowns and 78 yards on 20 carries.

Jan 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) scores on a 1 yard touchdown carry over Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) and Brock Coyle (52) during the second quarter in a NFC Divisional round playoff game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In Stewart’s four career regular season games against Seattle, he has gone over 75 yards three times with three total touchdowns. As Newton’s play has been stumbling the entire year, Carolina should turn to some consistency on the ground. If the offensive line can provide proper support, Stewart should be in line for a modest day on Sunday.

TE, Greg Olsen- In order for the Panthers passing attack to get going, Olsen is going to have to be involved. Kelvin Benjamin has been a limited participant in practice and if he is limited in Sunday’s contest look for Olsen to step into a heightened role. Olsen will not have it easy however, as he will draw coverage from some of the best linebackers in the game such as Bobby Wagner.

Still, with his league lead in receiving yards among tight ends, Olsen deserves to be played in every fantasy lineup regardless of opponent.

SIT:

QB, Cam Newton- Newton assessed the season stating that the team needs to get better as a unit, “Starting with myself, we all can be better. I don’t think we’re playing great team ball at times.”

Newton this season has been a struggle for fantasy owners, as many drafted Newton high and have not received the proper return. While a couple of receivers have had good fantasy outputs on the Panthers, Newton himself has not due mainly to his low completion percentage and higher number of turnovers. This week, Newton faces a stifling pass rush and with a broken offensive line, the recipe does not spell success for the reigning MVP this week.