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Fantasy Football: Thursday Night Football Takeaways

By Perry Lowe

Sep 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Fantasy Football Takeaways from Game 1 of the NFL Season

Thursday night football presented one of the closest match ups we may see all season. The game came down to one missed field goal at the end of the game. There were multiple fantasy football implications involved with this Thursday night match up.

C.J. Anderson is Back

I know this is probably an overreaction. However Anderson looked great all game and finished with 25 points in standard scoring leagues which was simply magnificent. Heading into the year Anderson was doubted by many however he was very involved in this game. Anderson was handed the ball twenty times on Thursday and finished with 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground. When the run game started to stall Anderson was used as a pass catching back where he caught four passes for 47 yards and another touchdown. Anderson had a stellar game, I could be overreacting but the Panthers are one of the better defenses. Anderson did not make them look that way.

No Rust for Kelvin

Benjamin got involved in Thursday’s game right away. In the first quarter Cam Newton threw Benjamin a jump ball in the end zone which was caught. Benjamin did not appear to be rusty at all on Thursday where he finished with 6 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. In standard leagues Benjamin finished with 15 fantasy points and was obviously even better in PPR leagues. People who doubted Benjamin are probably baffled after he torched the defending champs. 

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Cam Newton can be Stopped

It goes without saying that the Broncos still have a top defense in the league. However after a strong first half Newton slowed down significantly. Although he finished with 20 fantasy points, most of this was on the ground. Newton threw for only 194 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

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The Broncos defense shut down pass game in the second half and certainly stopped Newton from running. After picking up 36 yards and a touchdown on 6 rushes, Newton stalled in the second half. His rushing average dipped from 6.0 yards down to 3.6 in the second half. However not every defense will be as dominant as Denver’s however Newton clearly has a counter.

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