Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Ted Ginn Jr. Post-Week 7 Fantasy Advice

The Carolina Panthers kept their perfect record intact in Week 7, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 27-16, though fantasy owners likely came out of the game with question marks about Cam Newton despite strong performances around him from the likes of Greg Olsen and Ted Ginn Jr. 

It's rare in the NFL for a team to win a game when its starting quarterback throws three interceptions, but the Panthers were able to pull off that feat Sunday.

Since Newton is the biggest star on the Panthers and had a questionable performance, let's start with his fantasy value:

Comp-Att	Yards	TD-INT	YPA	QB Rating	Rush Att-Yards	Rush TD
14-24	197	1-3	8.2	59.2	4-20	1

Cam Newton

For all of the talent Newton has, he's reached a point where fantasy owners can no longer trust him as a No. 1 starting quarterback each week.

Coming into the game, the former No. 1 overall pick was completing 55.4 percent of his passes with 11 total touchdowns and four interceptions. Nothing he did against the Eagles helped those numbers climb much, except the interceptions, which is not what fantasy owners want to hear. 

The one saving grace for Newton this season, and in this game, has been his ability to move the ball with his feet.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Newton's four rushing touchdowns lead all quarterbacks. He also has more than running backs Carlos Hyde, Le'Veon Bell and Marshawn Lynch in 2015. 

Using ESPN.com standard scoring, Newton came into Week 7 as the seventh-best quarterback despite having at least 413 fewer passing yards than any of the top six players on the list.

Those numbers make it seem like Newton is a surefire fantasy starter, but his schedule has featured some easy-to-attack defenses such as Jacksonville, Houston, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. He deserves credit for racking up 299 total yards and two touchdowns against Seattle, but he also had two interceptions in that contest.

In fantasy football, Newton is the perfect backup quarterback for when your starting quarterback either has a bye week or suffers an injury. Many elements of his game keep fantasy players salivating, but the overall package hasn't lined up.

Ted Ginn Jr.

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	Rush Att-Yards
7	5	59	0	1-43

Speaking of dual-threat options, Ginn finally had a game that showed off the things he does best. He had 102 total yards, his first time reaching triple digits this season. 

Yet as impressive as Ginn's final numbers from the game are, his overall fantasy value doesn't change because it depends on head coach Ron Rivera's creativity.

For instance, per the Panthers' official Twitter account, Ginn's biggest play of the game was this 43-yard run on a reverse:

As a fantasy option, Ginn is worth starting only under the right circumstances. Fortunately, next week is a good opportunity to push him up in the rotation as a flex option. 

The Panthers will be taking on Indianapolis, which is allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and is tied for the third-most touchdown passes allowed to opposing wide receivers, according to NFL.com.

Even though Ginn will never be a high-volume wide receiver, his ability to produce with the ball in his hands is special. It's not enough to make him a starter every week for fantasy owners, but keep an eye on the right matchups moving forward.

Greg Olsen

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD
5	3	65	0

Even though Olsen didn't have his best statistical game of the season against Philadelphia, it was a microcosm of the things that make him a valuable fantasy asset. 

Finding a dominant fantasy tight end is not easy. Rob Gronkowski is the clear No. 1 in that category, but Olsen fits nicely into the second-tier group. Carolina's star ranked fourth in total fantasy points among tight ends coming into Week 7.

His 65 yards on just three catches against the Eagles didn't appreciably increase his overall ranking, but let's look at the bigger picture: He now has 27 catches for 439 yards, sporting a healthy average of 16.3 yards per reception.

By comparison, high-profile wide receivers such as A.J. Green (15.2) and Emmanuel Sanders (13.9) are far behind Olsen in terms of yards per catch. He is the go-to option for Newton regardless of the situation. 

Olsen is the one Carolina playmaker who should be in your starting fantasy lineup every week, because he does many things to help Newton during weeks when the quarterback has turnover problems. 

Stats via Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.