Derek Anderson's Updated Fantasy Outlook After Cam Newton's Injury

The worst nightmare for the Carolina Panthers and fantasy football owners everywhere came true when Cam Newton was evaluated for a concussion during Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Max Henson of the Panthers' official site. 

Now Derek Anderson will be thrust into the spotlight as he fills in for the reigning MVP. Just because he is now in a position to start for the Panthers, though, doesn't mean Anderson should immediately be considered a viable fantasy option.

Since arriving in Carolina in 2011, Anderson made two total starts before this season. In 17 appearances, he threw for 795 yards and five touchdowns on 73-of-107 passing.

Going back further, Anderson's last noteworthy season came nearly a decade ago. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after registering 3,787 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. In the three years after that breakout campaign, Anderson failed to reach those heights again:

Season	Games	Comp. %	Yards	TD	INT
2007	16	56.5	3,787	29	19
2008	10	50.2	1,615	9	8
2009	8	44.5	888	3	10
2010	12	51.7	2,065	7	10

A late-career renaissance is entirely possible for Anderson, but the evidence doesn't point to any such resurgence on the horizon.

Anderson's lack of mobility also hinders his fantasy ceiling.

Going strictly off passing numbers, little differentiates Newton from the rest of the elite class of fantasy QBs. When you factor in his production on the ground, though, the Panthers star creates major separation. Below are the top five quarterbacks from NFL.com standard fantasy leagues in 2015:

Rank	Player	Passing Yards	TD	INT	Rush. Yards	Rush TD	Fantasy Points
1	Cam Newton, CAR	3,837	35	10	636	10	389.08
2	Tom Brady, NE	4,770	36	7	53	3	343.70
3	Russell Wilson, SEA	4,024	34	8	553	1	336.26
4	Blake Bortles, JAX	4,428	35	18	310	2	316.12
5	Carson Palmer, ARI	4,671	35	11	24	1	309.24

Anderson will offer little to no value across the various running categories, so everything will hinge on how well the Panthers passing game performs, which is a major question mark in Newton's absence.

Kelvin Benjamin is healthy, but Carolina is still relying on Ted Ginn, Corey Brown and Devin Funchess to play relatively big roles in the offense. Depth remains an issue.

Greg Olsen may not be the same kind of security blanket for Anderson that he is for Newton, either. Olsen and Newton have a strong rapport with each other built over years, and that's not immediately transferable to a new quarterback.

There's little reason to expect Anderson will be a hot commodity on the waiver wire, even with Newton out of action. Fantasy owners should have the opportunity to wait and see whether the 11-year veteran turns into a consistent passer.

In deeper leagues with 20-plus teams, Anderson is a more attractive option, especially if Newton's injury forces him to miss more than one start. Otherwise, give it time before deciding whether to snag him off the waiver wire.