Andy Dalton is here to resuscitate the Panthers fantasy outlook

When Andy Dalton galloped onto the scene Sunday to be the hero that saved the Panthers, it felt like a dramatic plot twist.And he displayed a level of heroism often reserved for cinematic icons.After all, Carolina looked like not just the worst team in the league the first two weeks, it looked like one of the worst we have seen in years, with no hope of improving this season, mired in a quagmire of embarrassment.Enter a sturdy old Red Rifle.

Kick off the dust, and let’s see what the famously average QB can do, right? And he did some things — 319 passing yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions.He is the first QB to hit those marks this season.Look, those are good numbers, but they aren’t mind-blowing.

Their “bigness” is exaggerated by such poor passing game numbers across the league.The fantasy question is: How reliable will Dalton and the Panthers offense be in the coming weeks? Is he now Captain Carolina? Did he just have his Steve Rogers-esque “Panthers Assemble” moment?Or … hear us out here … is Dalton merely saving as many as he can, like Jake Gyllenhaal in “Day After Tomorrow” — the closest thing to a savior in a situation that has an unavoidably bleak ending?Spoiler alert: We think he will be the Panthers version of Ben from “Night of the Living Dead.” Dalton doesn’t have the strength alone to end the broad misery, but perhaps he can ease the suffering of a few of those around him along the way.First, basically reset the fantasy outlook you have for Panthers players to where they were before the season began.There weren’t high aspirations around any Carolina player, but what little aspirations there were had completely disappeared with Bryce Young at QB.Remember how wide receiver Diontae Johnson was a solid depth pick in the middle rounds, with hope he could be a surprise regular Flex play? With Young, Johnson went from that level of expectation to a player who was wasting a spot on your fantasy roster.Well, we’re back to...