Cover Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images


It looks as though the Panthers fears have been realized. Star tight end Greg Olsen will reportedly miss extended time after fracturing his foot in Sunday's game against the Cowboys. 

Exactly how much time Olsen will miss is unknown at this point, but anytime the injured reserve list is mentioned, it's not a good sign. 


Olsen is Cam Newton's favorite target, so losing him is a huge blow to a Panthers offense that struggled through the air in Week 1. Newton was unable to find any real chemistry with any of his wide receivers. Devin Funchess had the best showing with only three catches for 41 yards. 

In terms of replacements for the Panthers, they will look to their depth chart, which has rookie Ian Thomas next up. Thomas is an intriguing athletic rookie, who was a fourth-round pick out of Indiana. If he can develop chemistry and a level of trust quickly with Newton, he could become a viable option for them. 


For Olsen fantasy owners, there are a few waiver-wire guys to look for outside of Thomas. First would be Seattle TE Will Dissly, who hauled in three catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. Greg Kittle in San Francisco, who seems like Jimmy G's new favorite target, and Eric Ebron, who seems to be getting looks from Andrew Luck, are two more options to consider. 

The Panthers have elected to keep him on the 53-man roster for now and keep him off the injured reserve list, just in case he can make a late-season comeback.


Regardless if you're the Panthers or a fantasy owner, the Olsen injury is a huge blow to your squad.

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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.