Jonathan Stewart is finally healthy (at the moment) and looked pretty good in pre-season action as a goal line option for a Panthers team that badly needs the running game to step up this season and alleviate some of the pressure of fourth year quarterback Cam Newton. Stewart will be given every opportunity to be the guy in Carolina, but he’s missed 17 games out of the last 32, leaving fantasy owners and the Panthers with more concerns than optimism.
Fantasy Upside
Stewart has a rare blend of speed and power, and he’s on a team that is committed to running the football and playing good defense to win games. He catches the ball pretty well and he has enough power to stay in the game on the goal line. If he can get a consistent workload and stay on the field, then he can put up some productive numbers.
Fantasy Downside
Stewart has missed so much time over the past two seasons, he’s hard to trust. In six seasons, almost half his career yardage and nearly three quarters of his career touchdowns came in his first two years, slightly offset by a 2011 season where he caught 47 passes. Stewart also still has DeAngelo Williams to fight with for carries, and fullback Mike Tolbert to battle with for goal line touches. There’s a lot of downside with this 27 year old back out of Oregon.
Bottom Line
Stewart’s saving grace right now is that his ADP has him as a last round or undrafted pick in most leagues. For that kind of value, Stewart can be worth a gamble in case DeAngelo Williams gets hurt or Stewart doesn’t. Either way, if (and it’s a big if) he can stay on the field, Stewart should be worth an occasional flex start, and thus, he deserves a spot on the back of your roster. Just don’t count on him.
