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During fantasy football drafts, most owners tend to load on up running backs. The position has become very unpredictable and has caused owners to constantly jump on backs at the end of the draft. One of these late-round backs is Mike Tolbert of the Carolina Panthers.
Positives:
Since moving to Carolina, Tolbert has scored seven touchdowns in each season. He has been a steady contributor around the goal line and has pillaged many touchdowns away from the DeAngelo Williams. Tolbert can be a decent late-round sleeper for any league that rewards more points for touchdowns.
Tolbert is also a veteran back. If Williams is injured at all during the season, Tolbert will be able to step into a bigger role in the offense. Tolbert still may not crack the starting lineup, but he has proven that he is more than capable of carrying his weight in the offense.
Negatives:
Tolbert has a lot of competition in Carolina, mainly Williams and Jonathan Stewart. However, the team also has dual-threat QB Cam Newton to steal touchdowns from Tolbert. The array of offensive weapons will occasionally leave Tolbert on the bench around the goal line, which would all but ruin his fantasy value in the given game. The team simply has too many other options.
If Tolbert doesn’t score a touchdown, he has absolutely no fantasy value. He averaged a meager 22,6 rushing yards per game last season to go along with 11.5 receiving yards. Tolbert will never win a fantasy matchup by himself.
Final Verdict:
Tolbert will be a bench option in touchdown-heavy leagues only. Other than that, though, the fullback is simply a waste of a backup running back.
Bye Week: 12
Projected Round: 16
Auction Value: $1
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
