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The Carolina Panthers struggled out of the gate, and it’s safe to say Cam Newton’s foot injury was a key part of the program. Newton injured the foot in the preseason, and then seemed hesitant at best the first two weeks of the regular season. He aggravated the injury in Week 2, and Kyle Allen replaced him in Week 3. The Panthers elected to rule out Newton for Week 4 early in the week, and we finally learned it was a Lisfranc injury that was the issue.
Allen looked great in his start against the Arizona Cardinals last week, throwing for 261 yards and four touchdowns in a bit of a surprise. But Allen looked better than Newton did the first two weeks, and now gets a second straight start while Newton remains sidelined indefinitely.
Fantasy analysis: The Texans defense has been strong in recent years, but losing Jadeveon Clowney and Tyrann Mathieu has had a serious impact. Through three weeks, the Texans have given up the sixth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. If injuries and/or Jimmy Garoppolo’s bye week are leaving you short-handed, you could do worse than Allen. That being said, the conservative play would be to find one of a host of waiver options likely available that offer a bit more short-term upside. If he puts together a second straight strong performance, he becomes an intriguing name to consider on the waiver wire.
Recommendation: Sit outside of dire circumstances