When Andy Dalton stormed onto the stage on Sunday to become the Panthers' hero, it felt like a dramatic moment — and he displayed a level of heroism often reserved for movie stars.
After all, Carolina has looked not just like the worst team in the league through the first two weeks, but one of the worst in years, and they're mired in a quagmire of shame with no hope of improvement this season.
Here comes the rugged old Red Rifle. Let's dust it off and see what a famously average QB can do. And he's done some things. 319 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions. He's the first QB to achieve these records this season.
Those are good numbers, to be sure, but they're not amazing. Their “greatness” is exaggerated by the poor passing game numbers league-wide.
The fantasy question is how much confidence Dalton and the Panthers offense can have in the coming weeks. Is he now Captain Carolina? Have we had a Steve Rogers-esque “Panthers Assemble” moment?
Or… listen carefully… is Dalton, like Jake Gyllenhaal in “The Day After Tomorrow,” just trying to save as many people as he can? The closest thing to a savior in a situation that is inevitably heading for a dark ending?
Spoiler alert: I think he'll be the Panthers' version of Ben from “Night of the Living Dead.” Dalton won't have the power to end widespread misery on his own, but he might be able to ease the suffering of those around him in the process.
First, it basically resets the fantasy outlook for the Panthers' roster to where it was before the season began. There weren't any high expectations placed on Carolina's roster, but with Bryce Young at quarterback, whatever little hope there was has completely evaporated.
Remember when wide receiver Dionta Johnson was a mid-round pick and was expected to be a surprise flex regular? With Young's arrival, Johnson went from a promising prospect to a fantasy roster waste.
So, we're going back to his original outlook. We don't expect what he did on Sunday — 8-for-122 completions with one touchdown — to happen every week. But it's possible now, and it obviously wasn't possible with Young.
Dalton's impact on fantasy probably won't be as great in the passing game as it is with Adam Thielen currently dealing with a hamstring issue.
Running back Chuba Hubbard could be back in action. He was a big PPR hit in Week 3, going 21-of-114 on the ground and 5-of-55 receiving, and the Panthers were also playing with a lead for the majority of the game (freak alert). Hubbard's PPR value will be artificially inflated going forward due to his role in the passing game, but this team will still be way behind, so don't expect consistent rushing volume.
And how will Dalton's success impact his fantasy value? In most leagues, QBs aren't hard to find, but Dalton has quickly elevated to a tier that includes streaming options — think Matthew Stafford levels — but Dalton's type of game on this type of team is unlikely to consistently pay off.
Look at how Baker Mayfield and Derek Carr hit rock bottom last week: I expect Dalton to have as many games like this as he does productive games like Week 3 did.
All of these adjustments apply until Young is back under center. Yeah, we think that will happen at some point. Carolina will fall out of playoff contention at some point, and when that happens, it doesn't make sense to not play Young, because that will determine if he has a future with the team, if he learned while on the bench, if he adds potential trade value, etc.
At least in the meantime, there are a few Panthers worth adding to your roster, and that number is a bit higher than it was last week.
Like what we saw
Emmanuel Wilson, RB, Packers
He had plenty of work to do as starter Josh Jacobs' fill-in on Sunday, and while that's not usually the case, Wilson is an ideal backup for Jacobs, at least until rookie Marshawn Lloyd returns (Week 7 at the earliest).
Jauan Jennings, WR, 49ers
We talked about him last week, but rosters suggest few listened. He's likely to be the hottest waiver target this week. He's available until Deebo Samuel returns and should be a starter as long as George Kittle is out.
Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
Bo Nix looked much better in Week 3, and his improvement should help Sutton regain fantasy relevance.
Tyler Konkin, TE, Jets
If he makes 5 of 93 attempts, he'll move into the top spot on the TE scoring list. He has a solid QB in the team, so he's likely to be durable. He's a great fit for Sam LaPorta's team.
That was not good
Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins
It was bad enough having Skylar Thompson at QB instead of Tua Tagovailoa. What if the Dolphins settle for Tim Boyle? They'd feel better if they got Ryan Tannehill, whose big-play potential is all they need.
Davante Adams, WR, Raiders
The quarterback is playing poorly, he's in a dip, and the amount of targets he's getting on other teams is an issue. I'm not excited about the upcoming matchups (Browns, Broncos, Steelers).
Do you bet on the NFL?
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Titans
He's been incredibly productive. He went 6-of-73 and scored a touchdown on Sunday. Remember he didn't score twice in the first two weeks. Don't be fooled. Trade him now.
Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
He was targeted just once and made a big donut. There's a chance he can be a big part of the Ravens' passing game again. He was a monster last season before he got hurt, but he should be benched until he proves otherwise.
