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The Carolina Panthers are having a heartbreaking season so far. The team lost its first two games by a total of five points combined. In Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, the Panthers scored 17 points in the last quarter and almost completed the comeback, but it was not enough. Week 2 was a 19-16 loss to the New York Giants. Now, Carolina returns home to host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
As expected, running back Christian McCaffrey is the main player for the Panthers after two weeks. He has 25 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown, plus eight receptions for 50 yards. He is currently RB10 in fantasy football with a total of 24.5 points.
However, McCaffrey is not the only player from Carolina's offense who deserves some recognition. Here is a Panthers sleeper that fantasy football owners should consider picking up for Week 3.
Panthers QB Baker Mayfield
Despite the two losses to open the season, Baker Mayfield is showing that he is ready for the spotlight again.
After two weeks, the quarterback has completed 30 of his 56 pass attempts for 380 yards and two touchdowns with one pick. He also rushed 11 times for 41 yards, including one score on the ground. Those numbers might not be as flashy as other quarterbacks, but it shows that Mayfield still has something to show the NFL.
In Week 1, he showed that can play in clutch moments. Entering the fourth quarter down by 13 points, Mayfield almost led the Panthers to a comeback against his former team. He scored a rushing touchdown and executed a 75-yard passing touchdown to Robbie Anderson:
Baker Mayfield's 75 yard TD against his former team!#CarolinaPanthers | #ClevelandBrowns pic.twitter.com/JbiywiVGEk
— Replay Realm (@replay_realm) September 11, 2022
The close games show that, in one way or another, the offense with Mayfield under center is showing some quality. Still, there is much work to do if the Panthers want a chance at making to the postseason.
In terms of fantasy football, Mayfield is one of the biggest steals at quarterback so far. Rostered in just 15.6% of leagues, according to FantasyPros, he is currently QB16, ahead of players such as Super Bowl winner Matthew Stafford and Mac Jones. Mayfield has a total of 32.3 fantasy points, averaging roughly 16 per game. Also, veterans such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are not producing many fantasy points this year. Both barely make into the top 30.
For Week 3, Carolina will face a New Orleans defense that has allowed 46 total points across just two games. One of those games was against the Atlanta Falcons, a team projected to be at the bottom of the rankings by the end of the year. The Falcons almost pulled out the upset, losing by just one point.
Because of that, it makes sense to invest on the offense playing the Saints. McCaffrey is rostered in 100% of leagues, so adding Mayfield via the waiver wire could turn out to be the best move.
With Dak Prescott out for the Dallas Cowboys and Trey Lance's season-ending injury, Mayfield becomes a viable and cheap option. Fantasy teams that originally had those two quarterbacks might have to consider the waiver wire, and Mayfield stands out.
The game versus the Saints kicks off a three-game home stand for Carolina, which should be eager to finally get a victory. That might mean Mayfield will do his best to get his first win in a Panthers jersey. If there is a week to have Mayfield on a fantasy team, Week 3 is the one.
