Moore, Samuel to COVID-19 list for Panthers

Moore, Samuel to COVID-19 list: According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Carolina Panthers have placed eight players, including five starters, on the reserve/ COVID-19 list on Monday. Last week, the Panthers have placed two additional players on the list as well. 10 in total.

https://twitter.com/AroundTheNFL/status/1336033279053422592?s=20

The latest eight to be placed on the list include WR D.J. Moore, WR Curtis Samuel, DL Derrick Brown, LB Shaq Thompson, DL Zach Kerr, OL Greg Little, P Michael Palardy, who is on the injured reserve list and WR Ishmael Hyman, who is currently on the practice squad. In addition to the aforementioned players, the Panthers placed DE Yetur Gross-Matos and DT Bruce Hector, a member of the team’s practice squad, on the COVID list last week. Per Rapoport, Moore is the only player of the new additions who had actually tested positive for the coronavirus.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1336026960569528328?s=20

He was already uncertain to play due to an ankle injury he sustained in Week 12. If this trend continues, the Panthers’ Week 14 matchup with the Denver Broncos could come into question.

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Panthers Fantasy Football Fallout

All news is not bad for the Panthers. If the game is actually played on Sunday as-scheduled, the Panthers are expected to get elite RB Christian McCaffrey back from his three-game absence with a shoulder injury. For the latest players added to the list, there are no guarantees that they will miss Week 14 if the game is played. As I said above, only Moore tested positive for the virus. And just because you are added to the list, doesn’t mean you actually tested positive. A COVID-19/reserve designation could mean that a player either tested positive or was exposed while coming in close contact with someone who tested positive. Exposed players must be symptom-free while testing negative for five days before returning to the team.

While Moore could be sidelined, Samuel could be good to go. For fantasy, a Moore absence isn’t the worst thing if you’re a Samuel fantasy football manager. He would see an increased opportunity share. Samuel has either scored a touchdown or took six touches for 77 yards in five of his past six games, seeing 40 targets in that period. Of course, if Moore and/or Samuel misses the game, Robby Anderson would certainly see a notable increase in targets.

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Panthers Betting Fallout

Betting is where this COVID-19 breakout could have its greatest impact. Not only could the Broncos-Panthers game be outright canceled, but in fantasy, only Moore and Samuel actually affect things. Betting-wise, Brown and Thompson’s potential absences on the defensive side of the football could prove more catastrophic. While the Panthers’ defense has struggled at times, it has stepped up in the right matchup. You can’t get a better matchup than the Broncos’ offense if you’re the opposing defenders. What’s more, losing Brown and Thompson weakens an already weak run defense allowing 115.5 rushing yards per game and eight scores on the ground right up the middle. Consequentially, running the football is what the Denver offense does best and if they can get going on the ground, Drew Lock will have a much easier time picking apart the defense. It could pay to take advantage of the Broncos +3.5 at SugarHouse NJ before they take it off the books:

• Point Spread: Panthers -3.5 (-105)/ Broncos +3.5 (-117)
• Total: 46.5 — Over 46.5 (-114)/ Under 46.5 (-107)
• Moneyline: Panthers (-195) Broncos (+160)
• Implied Totals: Panthers 24.5 Broncos 22

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