Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
If you were one of those owners who passed up on rookie wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Brandin Cooks because they were going too high in your draft, I commend your patience. Now, if you passed on those two and were able to grab rookie Kelvin Benjamin with one of your late-round picks, you may reap the benefits soon — just not in Week 1.
There’s is no doubt about Benjamin’s talent, but his success in Week 1 is more about Cam Newton and his rib injury.
Even though Newton is expected to play, I would expect the Carolina Panthers to take it easy with their star quarterback and work on the ground first. Benjamin is going to get a lot of targets during the season due to the fact that there aren’t a lot of options outside of TE Greg Olsen, but in Week 1, a rookie wideout and a potentially injured quarterback spells trouble.
The Panthers are taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, and the Bucs finished 17th in pass defense last season. If I was in a 12-team league, I would look elsewhere before inserting Benjamin in the lineup due to the sole fact that we don’t know how Newton is going to play. Also, it’s uncertain how he will fit into the Panthers’ offense.
For a 14-team league that has a flex option, I would say that he is a low WR3, but I wouldn’t expect too much from him. There are so many questions marks surrounding the Panthers’ offense in Week 1, and it wouldn’t be wise to risk starting Benjamin. I would recommend at least waiting through Week 1 to see what kind of production he brings to the table.
Vinny Lanni is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.
