Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton is set to start in Week 2 of the season after missing the opener and that has fantasy football owners thrilled after Derek Anderson started in Week 1 for the team and the Panthers will be playing the Lions and that could be a very solid matchup even with Newton not at 100 percent and could boost Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen for fantasy owners.
Newton was held out for a rib injury last week and that did not stop the Panthers from winning over the Buccaneers. Kelvin Benjamin had a nice game and a great TD catch, while Greg Olsen was one of the best tight ends in fantasy and now Newton will get his chance. Owners are excited for year four of Newton, as he has gotten better each season in his TD to interception ratio and while his percentage went down two years ago from his rookie season, he set a career high last year with 61 percent from the passing side of things.
Newton may not be 100 percent for the game, but he is ready to go and all reports say he will be starting, so fantasy owners can rest easy for this week. The Lions are on the schedule for next week and they are coming off of a win against the Giants and are looking very good. Newton had another strong season last year on his way to leading the Panthers to the playoffs and now he will get the chance to test out his rookie WR in Kelvin Benjamin.
Derek Anderson played well in Newton's place, but no one can replicate what he does and now he has the chance to get things going again. According to ESPN.com, Ron Rivera thought about starting Newton last week, but felt it was best for the season and for Newton to keep him on the sidelines for this week. The Panthers had not won an opener in a few years and now they are 1-0 heading into the game this weekend after winning over the Buccaneers 20-14 and that game was on the road in Tampa Bay.
Anderson had not started a game since back in 2010 and he ended up with 230 yards in the game and two TDs and he also was very accurate, missing on just 10 of his 34 passes. The team needs Newton healthy to be a major factor and he comes in looking to play even better this season. Newton has some weapons with Olsen and Benjamin, as his TE made eight catches for 83 yards and he also scored a TD, while Benjamin also had a nice game and a highlight TD grab.
The Panthers will be favored in that game and they have the chance to get things going with Newton in the lineup. Newton has been very healthy through his career and he missed his first game in the NFL and now he is hoping that the ribs are healed up enough for him to stay that was for the rest of the season.
