Fantasy Upside
Cameron Artis-Payne didn’t get a lot of chances to shine as a rookie last year, but he averaged 4.1 yards per carry on the 45 attempts he had, and early reports out of Charlotte are that he’s looking more comfortable in pass protection, which might give him more snaps as a sophomore. Artis-Payne is a stout player who runs with a low center of gravity and plays behind Jonathan Stewart, who is 29 years old and has a long history of injuries. He could be a nice handcuff if he beats out Fozzy Whitaker for the backup job.
Fantasy Downside
That backup job should be his, but it’s still possible he’ll share time with Whitaker or even fullback Mike Tolbert if Stewart does get bit by the injury bug again. Also, his goal line potential is limited by playing with Cam Newton. Newton had 29 red zone carries last year. Artis-Payne is also unlikely to steal carries from the highly paid Steward, so his potential is as a handcuff.
2016 Bottom Line
If you draft Stewart and you have the space on your roster to carry a handcuff, Artis-Payne may not be a bad option. However, most leagues don’t afford that luxury, making him more of a mid-season waiver pickup than a draft day target.