FANTASY FOOTBALL IN-SEASON FEATURES

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Prediction: CAR 20, WAS 24 (Line: WAS by 3)

Players Updated: Brandon LaFell

Players to Watch: Jonathan Stewart, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III

At least someone gets to be happy after this game. The 1-6 Panthers are on a five game losing streak, are 0-3 on the road and yet their last four losses were by never more than four five points. A bit frustrating. The 3-5 Redskins are on a two game losing streak themselves and are only 1-2 at home. How great is this game? It's like Cam Newton Sr. vs. Cam Newton Jr.. The Panthers have played it close lately because opponents are not taking them as seriously because they know they can win the game. And they did. Four times in a row.

The Panthers won 33-20 when the Skins visited in 2011.

Pregame Notes: Cam Newton is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year but he's not getting the same level of respect that he did at the start of the season. The losing streak usually points back at him and he's not dealing with it as well as the media believes he should. In 2011, he was a tremendous draft pick and a game changer. By now, he's another mediocre quarterback who cannot mount any comeback and maybe does take off on a run too early at times.

Newton's thrown only five touchdowns this year and just one over the last three games. He was scoring as a runner but that too has stopped in the last three weeks. He just passed for 314 yards in Chicago but never scored and threw two interceptions. He currently at eight interceptions on the season. To his benefit, he will be facing one of the absolute worse secondaries in the NFL this week so this will be his softest matchup of the season as a passer.

The shift to Jonathan Stewart as the starting running back hasn't looked any different so far with only 42 yards on 17 runs while DeAngelo Williams still ran 11 times for 33 yards and even Michael Tolbert still plays a minor role. Halfway through the season and Stewart still has not rushed for more than 51 yards in any game or scored a rushing touchdown. There were plenty of rumors that Williams would be traded before the Tuesday deadline but it did not happen. One of the reasons that the GM was recently fired was because he gave Williams a $43 million contract.

The success passing - even if it was in a trap game of sorts - let Steve Smith gain 118 yards in Chicago for his first effort over the century mark since week two. Smith still has yet to score a touchdown. Brandon LaFell also produced a surprising 88 yards last week but as always no other receivers mattered, not even Greg Olsen who spent the last three games with fewer than 40 yards in each week.

The good news is that the Skins secondary is nothing short of terrible. They have already allowed 18 rushing touchdowns and every opponent passed for 299+ yards until the Steelers last week. The one strength that their defense has is rush defense, particularly at home.

Problem too is that the Skins are not nearly good enough to take anyone lightly.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
QB Cam Newton, CAR	@NO	50	1	0	0	0	260	1	1
Newton already threw for 253 yards and one score and rushed for 71 yards and another TD in the week two meeting. But the Saints at home, later in the year, are playing much better and the last two visitors combined for only one passing TD. The Saints have a score to settle and this is on the road for Newton. Expect no more than that first game and most likely less.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB DeAngelo Williams, CAR	@NO	60	0	1	10	0	0	0	0
Williams will probably share with a returning Stewart this week anyway and even without him around has been only mediocre anyway. Add in the Saints playing against the run well at home and Williams is a marginal play this week at best.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB Jonathan Stewart, CAR	@NO	30	0	2	20	0	0	0	0
Stewart has been out since week 12 but is hoped to play this week and therefore ruin whatever DeAngelo Williams might have done. The Saintsa at home defend the run well and have not allowed any runner to score there since week five.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Steve Smith, CAR	@NO	0	0	6	90	1	0	0	0
Smith is ending the year on a nice note - the last four games featured either 100 yards or a TD. He gained 104 yards in the first meeting and should be a lock for at least decent yardage with a good shot at a TD.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Domenik Hixon, CAR	@NO	0	0	4	60	1	0	0	0
Not only did Hixon score last week, in the earlier meeting with Philly he paced the Giants with 114 yards. With Victor Cruz scuffling a bit of late, Hixon might be a sneaky fantasy play in this must-win tilt for the G-Men.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Brandon LaFell, CAR	@NO	0	0	5	80	0	0	0	0
LaFell turned in 6-90 in the first meeting back in week two but has never had as many catches in any other game. LaFell also rarely every scores in a road game but the Saints should get a lead and force the pass so LaFell becomes a very low end flex play in a PPR league.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
TE Greg Olsen, CAR	@NO	0	0	6	70	0	0	0	0
Olsen has been a solid play for around 50 yards or so for the last couple of months with the odd TD. He was held to only 1-13 in the first meeting but should end up better in this game as the Panthers #2 receiver.

	Opp	fga	FGM	xpa	XPM	ConFac
K Graham Gano, CAR	@NO	3	3	2	2
The Saints defense at home is better at preventing TDs than FGs. Gano is a decent play this week but could be a problem if NO gets a big lead and CAR opts to skip FG attempts.

Pregame Notes: The media has been fawning over Robert Griffin III just as they did Cam Newton last year though the prevailing wisdom is that Griffin is a better passer. The Skins need a win here since they have a bye the following week and at 4-5 they can still pretend to have a shot at the playoffs. Griffin gets to prove himself and likely win the Offensive Rookie of the Year when he faces five of his six divisional match-ups over the final seven games.

Griffin scores in every game he finishes but over the last five weeks only passed for four touchdowns. His rushing touchdowns spiked in week six when he ran in two against the visiting Vikings but last week only ran six times. This week the Panthers show up and they have never failed to allow at least one passing score to every opponent and healthy yardage to those who want to throw more than 30 passes. Better yet, Griffin is the first time they will face a running quarterback.

Alfred Morris comes off his worst game of the year when he was limited to 59 yards in Pittsburgh but that was on just 13 carries and Morris has always either scored or rushed a 100 yard game when at home. The Panthers defense is nothing special particularly on the road and Morris may get a slight bump this week facing a weaker defense while at home.

Chris Cooley already suited up and played but was thrown only one pass which was incomplete. Logan Paulsen was the most productive tight end with four receptions for 43 yards but that's still not fantasy relevant and no Redskins tight end has scored any touchdown this entire year. Paulsen is the best bet but only for marginal yardage.

None of the wideouts have any fantasy reliability here though Santana Moss scored three times over the last two weeks. But he did that only only seven total catches for 88 yards so yardage is not a part and relying on a touchdown from a lesser used receiver rarely pays off. Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson hang around for a few catches each week but rarely anything of note. Moss is the leading scorer with five touchdowns on the season though he averages only 39 yards per game. Pierre Garcon remains out at least until week ten after the bye.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
QB Robert Griffin III, WAS	DAL	50	0	0	0	0	240	2	0
Griffin threw for 304 yards and four TDs in Dallas last time but two of those were bombs that connected. Griffin has been far less productive in almost every other game thanks to the defense and rushing game which both come into play this week.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
RB Alfred Morris, WAS	DAL	110	1	1	10	0	0	0	0
Morris already ran for 113 yards and one score in Dallas and the Cowboys defense continues to be victimized up the middle. He should be a lock for good to great yards and one score.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Pierre Garcon, WAS	DAL	0	0	7	90	1	0	0	0
Garcon has been money every week since he posted 4-86 and a TD in Dallas. He's a lock to be heavily relied on and should see one of the passing scores as well.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
WR Santana Moss, WAS	DAL	0	0	4	40	1	0	0	0
Moss has long been a Cowboy killer and posted 4-42 and one touchdown in Dallas this year. He's been well below 60 yards every game for almost the entire season though. His eight touchdowns shows he's a sure threat in the redzone but rarely used otherwise.

	Opp	RuYD	RuTD	Rec	ReYD	ReTD	PaYD	PaTD	Int	ConFac
TE Logan Paulsen, WAS	DAL	0	0	2	20	0	0	0	0
The Redskins have never used their TE's enough this year to matter. All combined they have two touchdowns and just one for Paulsen.

	Opp	fga	FGM	xpa	XPM	ConFac
K Kai Forbath, WAS	DAL	2	1	3	3
WAS kicker always a marginal start.

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