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RB Christian McCaffrey, SF (2 Viewers)

CaptainJT said:
Several things stood out. I think that Carolina is using CMC to open the field for the other players.  
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This is the Reggie Bush role. I realize McCaffery isn't impressing people as a runner, and maybe standing alone he doesn't merit a top-10 pick as an actual RB. However he is worth that to Carolina, especially in light of losing Olsen. The only thing that puzzles me is that Carolina just decided to create this role. Couldn't they have done this with Fozzy Whitaker? He always seemed like a talented player albeit subpar runner who would have been perfect for just this sort of thing.

 
I can admit I was wrong about this kid.  Not sure where it has gone off the rails but he is not producing like I thought.  Combo of Oline play, misuse or rookie adjustment would be my guess but something is wrong here.  He is getting touches is what is baffling.

 
1) I'm amazed at CAR's dedication to J-Stew.  Amazed.  2.9 YPC on the season.  Amazed.

2) The Panthers could not be less creative with how they are getting CMC the ball if they tried.  It's either him getting the ball in a stationary position or in the flat, perpendicular to the sideline.  Some teams really disguise their screens well.  CAR is not one of them.

3) Thru 6 games:  TD's rushing by someone other than Cam = 0.  I actually think CMC is in a position to be primary RZ option because you can split him/motion him viably.  As such, he's a sneaky threat to get 6-7 TD's this year.

 
Its hard to seperate McCaffrey out from him surroundings. This offense looks weird. It all flows through big chunk plays but as many people mentioned, they are terrible at run blocking and Cam has below average accuracy and way below average touch. 

I'd imagine and the season goes on Carolina would figure it out. CAP has to be a better runner than Stewart at this point. 

 
Well, I’ll own my mistake.  I completely underestimated how inept Newton is when he isn’t throwing 30 yds downfield and how incompetent the play scripting/play calling is in CAR.  Stewart’s demise was completely predictable yet they continue to ride him and refuse to put McCaffrey in optimal situations.

Simply astounding.

 
Its the same argument I hear in the Murray/Henry threads. Yeah Stewart has been horrible running the ball this year but CMC has been worse. Yeah Murray has been horrible running the ball this year but Henry has been worse. And I own both CMC & Henry. I wish the opposite was true.

 
shadyridr said:
Better than CMC's 2.7 ypc
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You've seemingly brought this up multiple times recently.  Honest question, when (if?) you watch the Panthers do you see yards that he's leaving on the field when running the ball?  Don't get me wrong, I'm disappointed in the production and usage as a whole for McCaffrey thus far.  Not looking to be a McCaffrey apologist.  But I'm also a realist and when I've watched the Panthers this year I've been utterly astonished at how dysfunctional they appear on offense.  No flow whatsover.  Cam is truly not a good quarterback. Their RB's more often than not are hit before they even get to the line of scrimmage, no matter whom that RB is. 

I think things fundamentally changed in Carolina, for the worst offensively, following Cam's return from a concussion last year.  If that concussion had never happened, I'm convinced they'd be putting Stewart on the pine and running a lot of read option and misdirection plays with Cam/McCaffrey and even Samuel.  But I think they seem reluctant to let Cam absorb the punishment running those types of plays so they seem fewer and further between, which is a huge detriment to their offense because as I mentioned before, Cam sucks as a pure quarterback. 

 
SayWhat? said:
You've seemingly brought this up multiple times recently.  Honest question, when (if?) you watch the Panthers do you see yards that he's leaving on the field when running the ball?  Don't get me wrong, I'm disappointed in the production and usage as a whole for McCaffrey thus far.  Not looking to be a McCaffrey apologist.  But I'm also a realist and when I've watched the Panthers this year I've been utterly astonished at how dysfunctional they appear on offense.  No flow whatsover.  Cam is truly not a good quarterback. Their RB's more often than not are hit before they even get to the line of scrimmage, no matter whom that RB is. 

I think things fundamentally changed in Carolina, for the worst offensively, following Cam's return from a concussion last year.  If that concussion had never happened, I'm convinced they'd be putting Stewart on the pine and running a lot of read option and misdirection plays with Cam/McCaffrey and even Samuel.  But I think they seem reluctant to let Cam absorb the punishment running those types of plays so they seem fewer and further between, which is a huge detriment to their offense because as I mentioned before, Cam sucks as a pure quarterback. 
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When I watch them play I see a team with a bad oline. Stewart tries to fight for extra yards (and usually fails) while CMC runs straight into defenders and goes down when sneezed upon.

 
You have to make the first tackler miss to last, either by avoiding them or breaking the tackle. Right now he’s doing neither and the first guys getting him down way too often. I wasn’t expecting him to break a lot of tackles but I did expect him to be a lot shifter than he’s showing right now.

 
FreeBaGeL said:
Why?  The whole point is he's supposed to do something with the ball after he catches it.

I'm not sure why people keep saying he'd be crushing it in NO or NE.  It's not like Kamara and White are running deep post routes.  They're running the same type of plays, they're just doing more with the ball after they get it in their hands.  If anything I think he'd be doing a lot less in NO or NE because they're less willing to give a guy as much work as McCaffrey is getting here.
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To be fair Brady and Brees are able to lead their pass catchers in a way that helps to allow them to gain those yards. Most of the time White is just running in a straight line after the catch. Although Kamara has looked better than McCaffrey overall - even as a pure running back - he's had better designed plays for him. Some of Cam's passes have turned McCaffrey around the wrong way or forced him to stop and adjust. He's always catching the ball with his back to the defense which doesn't give him much of a chance to make a play after the catch. He surely deserves some blame as well as I have not seen him take proper angles at times to gain extra yards and he's gone down easy a few times - but Cam isn't really the best QB for him to work with. Cam excels throwing downfield to bug targets like Benjamin, Funchess and the TEs.

 
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My observation of McCaffery is that he looks scared out there right now.  Still adjusting to the speed of the game and trying not to make a mistake.  He is following his blockers well, he's just running right into them and only taking what they give.  It's been mentioned several times that he's not being shifty or creating his own space.  I really think that will come with time as the game slows down for him and he gets coached up.  We know he has the talent and he has sure hands.  Cam already trusts him on key downs which is good.  

We get spoiled by guys who come in and have instant success to the point where we expect it.  Especially from such a high pick.  I wouldn't panic just yet.  We know the talent and work ethic are there.  Everything else should come with time.  

 
shadyridr said:
Its the same argument I hear in the Murray/Henry threads. Yeah Stewart has been horrible running the ball this year but CMC has been worse. Yeah Murray has been horrible running the ball this year but Henry has been worse. And I own both CMC & Henry. I wish the opposite was true.
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Carolina's use of McCaffrey has been unimaginative to say the least

 
hes basically a wr.. thats it but in ppr hes gold.. in my league hes ranked 15 on a points per game basis just half a point a game less than Jordan Howard .. Not bad for a # 2 back ..

 
DarkKnightsGuru said:
hes basically a wr.. thats it but in ppr hes gold.. in my league hes ranked 15 on a points per game basis just half a point a game less than Jordan Howard .. Not bad for a # 2 back ..
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At least he has a TD two weeks in a row.  Might be starting to figure out how to use him finally....maybe.

 
CaptainJT said:
On most of CMC's targets he is either in the flat or in the middle of the field facing Cam.  CMC almost never catches the ball in stride, and instead is usually stationary when the reception is made and must try to avoid an oncoming defender.   Carolina needs to find ways to get CMC the ball while he is in route so he can use his pace to make big plays.
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This is a great observation. And it runs counter to the preseason play that sold me on CMC over Cook at 1.2 The highlight where he catches the ball in the flat in stride and darts 40 yards down field. I remember thinking Carolina actually knew how to use him. 

Somehow that hasn't translated to the real season. I agree it's looking like Bush 2.0. But as long as he can maintain that peak for a few more seasons than Reggie is not the disaster many are bemoaning. 

 
shadyridr said:
Better than CMC's 2.7 ypc
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Fair enough point, but in a 2017 NFL in which we've seen a 3rd round pick (Hunt), a 2nd round pick (Cook - prior to the injury) and a player picked 4 slots ahead of CMC (Fournette) become dominant weapons in their respective offenses, CMC's primary role seems to be 1) screen outlet and 2) decoy.

...and the guy getting most of the run looks finished.

...and the Panthers are averaging 21 PPG.

 
shadyridr said:
Better than CMC's 2.7 ypc
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A lot of good RBs need a chance to get enough carries to get into the flow of the game.  That sure has not been the case with McCaffrey.  Let’s see him get 15+ carries in a game and see how his ypc shakes out.  Stewart is getting that workload and ain’t getting it done.  How does it hurt to let McCaffrey get a larger share?

 
DarkKnightsGuru said:
hes basically a wr.. thats it but in ppr hes gold.. in my league hes ranked 15 on a points per game basis just half a point a game less than Jordan Howard .. Not bad for a # 2 back ..
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14 targets last night. Most WR can't match that level of opportunity.

He has 50 targets over 6 games now, averaging 8.3 targets per game which is on pace for 133 targets over 16 games. Seems unlikely to me that this would be sustainable all year, but maybe it will. He should end up with 100 targets by the end of the year and maybe 120 though.

The catch percentage is average for a RB (74%) and the yards per reception (7.9) slightly above average for a RB.

If he ends up with 120 targets that should be 89 receptions 700 receiving yards. 

He is on pace for 100 rushing attempts at 6.3 per game. At 2.7 ypc would be another 270 yards (this has to improve right?) So just cracking 1000 combined yards at this rate.

.33 TD/game so far.

Putting it all together he is on pace for 132 points in standard (8.25 per game) and 221 points in PPR (13.8 per game) those totals would finish RB 24 in standard and RB 11 in PPR last year.

 
tombonneau said:
This is a great observation. And it runs counter to the preseason play that sold me on CMC over Cook at 1.2 The highlight where he catches the ball in the flat in stride and darts 40 yards down field. I remember thinking Carolina actually knew how to use him. 

Somehow that hasn't translated to the real season. I agree it's looking like Bush 2.0. But as long as he can maintain that peak for a few more seasons than Reggie is not the disaster many are bemoaning. 
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Anderson was the QB in preseason. Cam is not good in the short passing and screen game. 

 
shadyridr said:
When I watch them play I see a team with a bad oline. Stewart tries to fight for extra yards (and usually fails) while CMC runs straight into defenders and goes down when sneezed upon.
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I've literally seen CMC throw a defender/tackler on his back with one arm and gain an extra 3-4 yards. 

 
jmo87usc said:
My observation of McCaffery is that he looks scared out there right now.  Still adjusting to the speed of the game and trying not to make a mistake.  He is following his blockers well, he's just running right into them and only taking what they give.  It's been mentioned several times that he's not being shifty or creating his own space.  I really think that will come with time as the game slows down for him and he gets coached up.  We know he has the talent and he has sure hands.  Cam already trusts him on key downs which is good.  
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It's 100% this in my opinion. Some guys take a little bit to figure it out and that's OK. Addressing the point of only taking what the line is giving him, I'd rather he be doing that than the other end of the spectrum of trying do too much (like Tarik Cohen does right now). It's much easier to teach a guy to do more with his blockers and his own running than it is to break a habit of him doing more than he should. CMC is looking up to to me.

EDIT: and Carolina's O-line is BAD BAD BAD. Carolina needs to run through the air or run with Cam. Don't bother running with CMC or Stewart right now.

 
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Hes not doing anything right. Running into someone and falling down, missing blocks, immediately getting tackled on five yard catches every single friggin time.

 
fruity pebbles said:
Hes not doing anything right. Running into someone and falling down, missing blocks, immediately getting tackled on five yard catches every single friggin time.
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So glad I'm not watching. Much rather just see the 10 points in my .5ppr return yardage league box score and watch Gurley play. 

 
I watched a bunch.  He didn’t look as bad as is being said here.  I thought he looked pretty good actually.  The panthers offense looked bad as a whole.  And again they’re not setting him up for success with the playcalling. 

 
McCaffery is heavily overrated. He really doesn't have that much explosiveness and he goes down really easy. The Panthers try desperately to feature him but he really isn't a player worth featuring. I just don't think his game translates well to the pro level. The only thing making him somewhat useful in fantasy right now is his heavy usage. 

 
He's gonna remain a nice weapon in the passing game, but I don't see him ever being a serious threat in the running game. I'd be amazed if the Panthers don't draft or bring in a back in the offseason to handle most of the actual RB duties. I mean he's gonna have to explode to rush for 300 yards this year.

 
gradin123 said:
McCaffery is heavily overrated. He really doesn't have that much explosiveness and he goes down really easy. The Panthers try desperately to feature him but he really isn't a player worth featuring. I just don't think his game translates well to the pro level. The only thing making him somewhat useful in fantasy right now is his heavy usage. 
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He's useful as a change of pace/receiving back, but unlike against the laughable Pac 10 defenses he's neither fast or elusive by NFL standards.

 
Stewart hasn’t looked very good either.

CMC has an awesome ppr floor with decent upside. He’s also still very young and a hard worker, he’ll improve.

 
Great in PPR. He's a healthier Theo Riddick. Not exactly what people hoped in the top-3/top-5 of rookie drafts I guess, but good in fantasy. 

 
gradin123 said:
McCaffery is heavily overrated. He really doesn't have that much explosiveness and he goes down really easy. The Panthers try desperately to feature him but he really isn't a player worth featuring. I just don't think his game translates well to the pro level. The only thing making him somewhat useful in fantasy right now is his heavy usage. 
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James White years 1&2

 
shadyridr said:
When I watch them play I see a team with a bad oline. Stewart tries to fight for extra yards (and usually fails) while CMC runs straight into defenders and goes down when sneezed upon.
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I think the o line also is a significant issue.

i think cmac owners need to keep the faith. And be happy he’s at least getting a ton of receptions.

 
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According to a lot of folks in this thread predraft, all the measurables were there. The speed was there. The quickness was there. He's the complete package. And yet he's still very mediocre.

Maybe there's something to this white RB thing... :shrug:

 
kutta said:
According to a lot of folks in this thread predraft, all the measurables were there. The speed was there. The quickness was there. He's the complete package. And yet he's still very mediocre.

Maybe there's something to this white RB thing... :shrug:
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He's no Paul Hornung that's for sure...

 
He's been a lynchpin for me in PPR. It's hard to judge his ability to run the ball behind a line that resulted in JStew netting negative 4 yards in an entire game. 

 
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