Cameron Artis-Payne Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

With little to play for this week it would not be a surprise to see the Panthers to sit three of their key offensive weapons as they're all dealing with injuries. Newton was able to put in a limited practice today but it's hard to imagine the Panthers risking further harm to his shoulder making Derek Anderson the likely starter. While one of many value options at QB this week, Anderson will face a much improved Tampa pass defense that is 6th in DVOA. Cameron Artis-Payne, however, is intriguing if Stewart doesn't play as the Bucs have been vulnerable to the run (24th in DVOA). Tomorrow's practice should tell us more about the status of these three - we'll update you then.

Artis-Payne getting scratched from the lineup today is a good sign for Stewart, as it indicates the Panthers are completely confident in Stewart's health. He had been dealing with a hamstring injury, which has kept him off the field since Week 2. In his last matchup with the Saints, Stewart rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and picked up another 31 yards through the air on three receptions. He should get a solid workload today as well.

Stewart has missed the Panthers past three games, but appears set to make his return against the Saints on Sunday. If he's able to log practices (even in a limited capacity) over the next two days, he'll almost surely suit up in what sets up as one of the best match-ups of the weekend. The Saints haven't been as bad in the run defense category as they were last season, but it was honestly tough for them to get any worse. Still, this game is one of the most enticing to target from a DFS perspective, and if you aren't all-in on the Panthers passing game, you'll want some exposure to Stewart in GPPs given that his price has dropped. If he's active on Sunday, Cameron Artis-Payne wouldn't be viable.

While getting closer to a return to action, the fact that Stewart hasn't practiced yet this week makes it unlikely that he will play on Monday night against Tampa Bay. Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker will continue to split the workload at the RB position for the Panthers. Tampa is a tough run defense (7th in RB Rush DVOA) so Artis-Payne is an unattractive option. Whittaker does have some appeal on PPR sites but there are better options out there near his price point.

Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera confirmed that RB Jonathan Stewart would be out this week and that Cameron Artis-Payne would be the starter. He added that he expected Artis-Payne to split the workload with Fozzy Whittaker. It's a tough match up against the Vikings and with the split work load and other viable value options at RB, these two can be avoided this weekend.

Artis-Payne was a healthy scratch for each of the Panther's first two games, but figures to play a major role with Jonathan Stewart on the shelf. He'll have to compete with Fozzy Whitaker and Mike Tolbert and is likely to lose goal-line work to Cam Newton, so his floor is very low, but at $4,800 on FanDuel and $3,000 on DraftKings, he's not worth writing off. He should still see somewhere between 10-15 touches and considering that running backs playing at home as touchdown favorites are typically strong targets, Artis-Payne is in a good spot. Minnesota's defense is strong, but touches generally breed production.

Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera stated this morning that their starting RB, Jonathan Stewart, will likely miss one to two weeks with an injured hamstring. Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker would likely get the majority of the work if he is unable to go with Mike Tolbert coming into the picture as well. It's a tough situation to read and one probably best avoided as Rivera does not seem committed to any one back.

There was the possibility that Stewart might play but the team has decided to err on the side of caution and he's been ruled out alongside Fozzy Whittaker for this week's game. With home field advantage still on the line, Cameron Artis-Payne is in line for the majority of the work against a somewhat stingy Tampa Bay run defense. He's very much in play, however, given his price tag and expected workload.

Stewart is still dealing with a sprained foot, but he reportedly ran well on a treadmill and is a candidate to practice tomorrow. If Stewart is able to take the field tomorrow and doesn't suffer any setbacks during the week, it's looking like he'll have a shot to suit up on Sunday and shake some of the rust off before the Panther's playoff run gets underway. Fozzy Whittaker won't play Sunday, so the Panthers would be down to Cameron Artis-Payne and Mike Tolbert in the backfield if Stewart can't go. Artis-Payne would be the much stronger play of the two, but he'd still carry plenty of risk against a Tampa Bay defense that is much tougher to beat on the ground.