Panthers @ Saints
This was a great back and forth affair with the teams staying within 10 points of each other throughout the entire game. It was a nice showing for the Saints offense despite missing their top-two wide receivers. The quarterbacks were highly efficient and for the most part, this was a game of long possessions. Only 11 incompletions between the two quarterbacks occurred. Panthers kicker Joey Slye attempted an NFL record 65-yard field goal with two minutes to play and fell just short of the goalposts and the Saints held on for a 27-24 victory.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater: 23/28, 254 yards, 2 TDs, 1 sack | 2 carries, 10 yards
Teddy Bridgewater had a highly efficient day through the air by completing over 82 percent of his passes. This Saints defense has struggled most of the season and that continued on Sunday. The Panthers punted only once and had a chance to tie the game at the end but just missed a long field goal. Down nine in the 2nd quarter, Bridgewater takes advantage of blown coverage to throw a strike to D.J. Moore deep down the field for a touchdown, as seen below. He hit Moore again for a short red-zone touchdown late in the first half. The Panthers only had three possessions in the second half which capped Bridgewaters’ upside. The Panthers face the Falcons’ poor defense on Thursday night this week.
A WIDE OPEN DJ Moore. #FantasyFootball | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/TAuFwku1UE
— QB List (@TheQBlist) October 25, 2020
Running Backs
Mike Davis: 7 carries, 12 yards | 5 targets, 5 receptions, 24 yards
Mike Davis had a tough matchup coming into this tilt with the Saints and the Panthers largely abandoned the run even though the game was close throughout. Multiple guys had one or two carries so Davis only had half of the Panthers 14 carries on the day. Unlike last week, he was involved throughout in the passing game. He got a red-zone score poached from him by Curtis Samuel who ran in a touchdown from five yards out. Davis will be a low-end RB1 for as long as Christian McCaffrey remains out.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Robby Anderson: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 74 yards
D.J. Moore: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TDs
Curtis Samuel: 6 targets, 6 receptions, 48 yards | 1 carry, 5 yards, 1 TD
Ian Thomas: 1 target, 1 reception, 11 yards
The Panthers have a pretty concentrated passing game. Only four guys had more than one target: the three listed above and Mike Davis. As you saw above, D.J. Moore was the beneficiary of a blown coverage for a deep touchdown. Then, later on in the second quarter, he scored a seven-yard red-zone touchdown on a pop pass. On the other hand, Robby Anderson was heavily involved throughout the game and led the team in targets but he failed to score a touchdown. Both Anderson and Moore should be looked at in the WR1/2 range and can be started with confidence most weeks. Curtis Samuel lined up in the backfield and rushed for a short touchdown and was a short-yardage chain-mover through the air. He doesn’t have a ton of upside because he is the third receiver and fourth option most weeks in the passing game.
DJ’s second TD of the first half.#FantasyFootball | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/FyIeCaYBwH
— QB List (@TheQBlist) October 25, 2020
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Drew Brees: 29/36, 287 yards, 2 TDs, 1 sack, 1 fumble lost | 3 carries, 2 yards, 1 TD
Drew Brees did what Drew Brees does on Sunday against the Panthers. He was without his top two wide receivers and was still efficient in moving the Saints offense for 27 points. He also scored a rushing touchdown on a goalline jump over the top of the pile. Brees led the Saints on a long 14-play drive to open the game and hit tight end Jared Cook with a nice red-zone pass that only he could catch. He led the Saints to score on four of their next five drives; the only non-score was a fumble by Brees himself on a sack. The Saints get a tough matchup with the Bears next week. We will need to see about his receiver injuries but otherwise he will be a QB2 next week.
Running Backs
Alvin Kamara: 14 carries, 83 yards | 8 targets, 8 receptions, 65 yards
Latavius Murray: 11 carries, 47 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
Alvin Kamara showed why he is so valuable in fantasy football. He didn’t score a touchdown today and had 14 of 29 Saints carries but will still end up as an RB1 on the week thanks to his beastly usage in the passing game. He is a top-three RB1 because of his floor on a week-to-week basis. Latavius Murray continues to be involved every game but doesn’t play enough in the passing game to be a comfortable play on a weekly basis. He is of course one of the top handcuffs in fantasy football and should be owned in every league.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Jared Cook: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD
Tre’Quan Smith: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 54 yards
Marquez Callaway: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 75 yards
Deontae Harris: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD
The Saints were without top wide receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in this one. It didn’t matter much for this offense as other guys stepped up in their place. Jared Cook had a nice bobbling touchdown catch on their first drive. Marquez Callaway was the big beneficiary today as he was Brees’s top target and was constantly moving the chains today. He had a touchdown called back for a penalty and left the game with an injury in the second half. This unit is hard to project going forward because of the injuries/Covid situations. Cook should be a decent TE1 going forward.
— Kevin Taylor (@ktbeast918 on Twitter)