BALLER MOVE: Target at the end of drafts as a handcuff to Jonathan Stewart
CURRENT ADP: 182 in standard drafts, Not drafted in PPR
ANALYSIS: While he isn't necessarily an athletic freak like most sleepers, Cameron Artis-Payne finds himself in a prime position for an impact role as a rookie. The Carolina Panthers might be the most talent starved offense in the NFL aside from Cam Newton, and even though running back Jonathan Stewart had a nice stretch at the end of last season he has been extremely unreliable due to health concerns.
Over the last three years Stewart has not played a full 16 games and passed the ten game threshold only once. That isn't too promising, especially considering the Panthers will look to run more after the loss of Kelvin Benjamin. Expect the Panthers to protect Stewart by rotating him out often to avoid injury. But based nn his history it can be expected that he will miss time whether it be one game or multiple, and the next man up is Cameron Artis-Payne.
Artis-Payne is no stranger to being the bell cow of an offense, during his two years at Auburn after transferring from a JUCO Artis-Payne ran for 2,218 yards and 19 touchdowns on 394 carries. Owners should have no worries about his ability to carry the ball if Stewart went down, although he should be valued slightly less in PPR leagues as he only caught 14 passes during his college career.
Don't be afraid to take a flier on Artis-Payne as a handcuff to Stewart as it is more likely than not that he will get a significant amount of carries during the season. Having someone who has a proven college track record against historically strong SEC defenses and the opportunity to produce in the event of an injury is a worthwhile player to take late in drafts.
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