The Panthers on Monday signed RB C.J. Anderson to a 1-year deal. The former Bronco obviously didn't live up to the contract he signed in 2016 after Denver matched Miami's offer sheet to the then-restricted free agent. Anderson posted his 1st career 1,000-yard rushing season in 2017 but rated just 30th and 33rd among 47 qualifying RBs in Football Outsiders' main rushing-efficiency metrics. He arrives in Carolina, however, as a likely upgrade over Jonathan Stewart -- whom the Panthers let walk this offseason. For some reason, Stewart carried 81 more times (in 1 fewer game) than Christian McCaffrey last season, despite averaging only 3.4 yards per rush. Anderson's arrival dings the volume upside for McCaffrey a bit, but the 2nd-year back should still be in for a bigger share of the rushing workload. There's also room for Anderson to carry some fantasy value, primarily in non-PPR formats.

The Panthers have fired OC Mike Shula. He's been with the team since 2011, spending the past 5 seasons as OC. Carolina ranked in the top half of the league in total yards in just 2 of those 5 years, including 19th-place finishes the past 2 seasons. We'll see who the Panthers tab to replace Shula. We're especially curious to see what kind of role the new guy envisions for RB Christian McCaffrey, who caught 80 balls but carried just 117 times as a rookie.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) is active for today’s game against the Saints. There's been nothing to suggest that the shoulder will be a factor. Use McCaffrey as you normally would.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Panthers expect RB Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) to play against the Saints today. McCaffrey is questionable after missing Wednesday's practice but returning for the next 2 days. Use him as you normally would for Week 13.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game against the Saints after putting in limited practices on Thursday and Friday. He hasn’t expressed any concern about the shoulder, and HC Ron Rivera “expressed optimism” about McCaffrey’s availability on Friday, per ESPN’s David Newton. Go ahead and keep the rookie in fantasy lineups for now, despite the 4:25 pm ET kickoff.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He's on track to play against the Saints this weekend, but it'd be nice to see him graduate to a full workout tomorrow.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey was held out of Wednesday's practice with that HC Ron Rivera deemed a "sore" shoulder. It doesn't sound like the rookie is in danger of missing this weekend's game against the Saints, but we'll continue to keep an eye on him.

Panthers TE Greg Olsen told reporters after Sunday's win over the Bills that he has a broken foot. We should get a timetable for his return sometime over the next 24 hours, but Olsen figures to be sidelined upwards of 8 weeks. He's a candidate for IR-designated-to-return. The injury strips Carolina of its most reliable pass-catcher. Olsen has posted 77+ catches and 1,000+ yards in 3 straight seasons. And he hasn't missed a game since his 2007 rookie year. Ed Dickson will step in as the Panthers' starting TE but won't be much of a fantasy option. Most of Olsen's target figure to go to Kelvin Benjamin, Christian McCaffrey and Devin Funchess.

Max Henson of the Panthers' official website expects RB Jonathan Stewart to get the "bulk of the carries this season," despite the addition of 1st-round rookie Christian McCaffrey. Media members throw around predictions like this all the time -- and they shouldn't be taken too stringently. We're still betting on McCaffrey out-carrying Stewart this year, but the important takeaway is that the veteran will remain involved. That figures to be especially true near the goal line, where Stewart scored on 9 of 16 carries from inside the opponent's 5-yard line. There's some best-ball appeal here, especially at his recent 12th-round MFL10 ADP. McCaffrey, meanwhile, should settle into the 200-250 touch range. But he's pricey with an ADP at the 3rd/4th-round turn.

Panthers GM Dave Gettleman threw out a Curtis Martin comparison when discussing 8th overall pick Christian McCaffrey. “The best tackle-box runner I’ve ever seen is Curtis Martin out of Pitt. Christian is right there with him," Gettleman said. "Running in that tackle box takes unique vision and unique quickness, and he’s got it. Curtis Martin had it, and he had a great career – a Hall of Fame career – and this kid’s got those kind of skills.” It's noteworthy that Gettleman praised McCaffrey's inside running ability. We know he's a big threat outside the tackles and in the passing game, but Carolina clearly sees him as a lead ball-carrier. McCaffrey is a good bet to out-touch veteran RB Jonathan Stewart this year.

The Panthers selected Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey with the 8th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. McCaffrey was a do-it-all weapon for the Cardinal, tallying 3,622 yards and 21 TDs on the ground and 955 yards and 8 more scores through the air over the past 2 seasons. His breakout 2015 campaign — as a true sophomore — featured 2,019 rushing yards (2nd most in the country), 45 catches and 645 receiving yards. McCaffrey was the only player in FBS to lead his school in both rushing and receiving. This past year wasn’t quite as productive, but he still totaled 1,913 yards, averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored a career-high 16 TDs. He also contributed in the return game, and his 6,191 all-purpose yards over the last 2 years are the most over any 2-year span in FBS history. McCaffrey is lightning-quick on tape and confirmed that with elite 3-cone and shuttle times at the Combine. And despite going just 5’11 and 202 pounds, he proved capable of handling a big workload at Stanford, averaging 23.6 carries per game and missing just 1 contest over the past 2 seasons. McCaffrey figures to share the rushing load with Jonathan Stewart and dominate passing-down work in the short term. Longer term, he’s a guy who could approach or even top 300 total touches.