Curtis Samuel, D.J. Moore, Panthers Fantasy Outlook After Cam Newton's Injury

The injury woes continue for Cam Newton, causing massive headaches for the Carolina Panthers and fantasy owners now in need of a new quarterback. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Panthers officially ruled out Newton for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals with a foot injury, meaning Kyle Allen will get the start.

Newton's right shoulder had been a source of many problems over the past two years. He's undergone two surgical procedures since March 2017, including an arthroscopic procedure in January after sitting out the final two games of last season. This time, the foot injury he suffered during the preseason resurfaced.

The early returns in 2019 haven't been encouraging for Newton's outlook, both in fantasy and reality. He completed just 56.2 percent of his attempts for 572 yards with no touchdowns in Carolina's first two games. 

Given those injury concerns, the Panthers did try to add to their quarterback depth chart in the offseason. They selected Will Grier in the third round of April's draft, though he is third on the depth chart when Newton is healthy.

Allen started one game for the Panthers last season. He showed promise, going 16-of-27 for 228 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, though that came in Week 17 when the New Orleans Saints were resting virtually all of their starters leading up to the playoffs. 

One player who remains worth starting in Newton's absence is D.J. Moore. The second-year wideout had a solid debut season in 2018 with 788 yards and two touchdowns on 55 receptions. 

Per Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, Moore was one of the most elusive wide receivers in the NFL as a rookie:

This is critical with a backup quarterback because Moore doesn't need to be thrown open. He's got the talent to remain an impact player. The 22-year-old had 81 yards on four receptions in against the Saints with Allen under center last year. 

Moore has been Newton's favorite option this season with 24 targets in two games, though he's only averaging 10.3 yards per reception because the offense has been stagnant. 

Curtis Samuel, on the other hand, seems unlikely to be a starting-caliber receiver in Newton's absence. His value is tied directly to his ability to go down the field. 

"Samuel specifically thrived on passes of 10-plus air yards when running routes from an outside receiver alignment," per Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus. "He earned an impressive 88.2 receiving grade when targeted at such depths and ranked fifth in passer rating when targeted (134.1), as well."

Until Allen proves he can get the ball down the field on a consistent basis, putting trust in Samuel to be a factor in the offense is too much of a risk to take. Moore will be the No. 1 option in the passing game, with Christian McCaffrey serving as the safety net underneath.

McCaffrey figures to be Carolina's primary offensive focus while Newton is out, and he should continue to be deployed as an RB1 because of his ability to do damage as a runner and receiver.   

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