Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert Post-Week 7 Fantasy Advice

Jonathan Stewart had his best rushing performance of the year Sunday night as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-16, but his backfield mate Mike Tolbert found the end zone twice.

Stewart gained 125 yards on 24 carries, while Tolbert registered his first two touchdowns of the season. Here's a look at how the duo performed in the home victory against the Eagles:

Player	Rush Att.	Rush Yards	Rush TDs	Receptions	Rec. Yards	Rec. TDs
Jonathan Stewart	24	125	0	0	0	0
Mike Tolbert	3	16	1	1	2	1

If you started Mike Tolbert this week, congratulations—you are either the smartest or luckiest fantasy football owner on the planet. He had gained just 76 yards through the team's first five games and managed only 18 total yards Sunday.

Stewart is the No. 1 option for the Panthers, given the amount of carries he receives, but Tolbert is always a threat to score because he receives the ball in goal-line situations more often than Stewart.

This play was a good example, per the NFL:

Stewart did most of the dirty work against the Eagles, but Tolbert cleaned up. Looking at their stats on the year, it's clear that you should start Stewart as long as he is healthy:

Player	Rush Att.	Rush Yards	Rush TDs	Receptions	Rec. Yards	Rec. TDs
Jonathan Stewart	103	423	2	6	30	0
Mike Tolbert	20	92	1	7	40	1

Yes, both have scored two total touchdowns, but Stewart is going to get the lion's share of the carries, which is no secret. It's a good sign that Stewart had his best game Sunday, and you can feel good about starting him in the RB2 or flex spot moving forward.

His performance Sunday moved him from 25th in the NFL to 14th in rushing.

If you need some more affirmation, Stewart's performance against the Eagles was the best in more than a full season against Philadelphia, according to 247Sports:

Tolbert is not worth consideration unless you want to use him as a handcuff for Stewart. He showed signs of being more than a goal-line ball-carrier when he rushed for 735 yards and 11 scores in 2010, but those days are long gone. If you find yourself in a desperate bye situation, you can use Tolbert in a pinch.

The next two weeks will be a challenge when Stewart faces an improved Indianapolis Colts defensive line and then the Green Bay Packers. However, the four weeks after that include games against the Tennessee Titans, Washington, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. That will most likely be the best stretch of the season for Stewart if he can stay healthy.