Fozzy Whittaker's Updated Fantasy Outlook After Jonathan Stewart's Injury

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart started for the second straight game in place of injured star DeAngelo Williams in Sunday's Week 3 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Unfortunately, Stewart had to exit the game with an ailing knee—an ominous sign for the oft-hurt ball-carrier, who played just 15 games in the previous two seasons combined.

CBS Sports' Pete Prisco and Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports were hardly surprised:

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Fozzy Whittaker is the next man up on the team's official depth chart. Although Mike Tolbert is featured and will get some touches, he starts at fullback and will be needed more at that position due to the Panthers' thinning backfield.

Carolina couldn't deploy that strategy on Sunday, though, because Whittaker landed on the team's inactive list, per ESPN's David Newton:

As Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer reported, Whittaker has been dealing with his own injury problems:

Tolbert also limped off the field late in Week 3, adding insult to the myriad of injuries the Panthers are going through.

In Whittaker's first chance to play in the NFL last year, he managed just 28 carries for 79 yards as a member of the Cleveland Browns. However, he did have 21 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. That type of production could come in handy in PPR leagues in particular.

Williams is likely to return soon enough. Coach Ron Rivera was mulling the possibility of playing Williams in Week 3, too, per the Associated Press' Steve Reed:

That hurts any potential fantasy value Whittaker could have—if he can even suit up soon.

For those seeking a waiver-wire deep sleeper for the near future, Whittaker offers decent value but can't be deployed as anything better than a flex play.

The Panthers face a road matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, a top-10 scoring and run defense. That doesn't bode well for Whittaker or whoever takes handoffs for Carolina next Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.