Well, there are plenty of fantasy players out there who are full of regret right now. Kelvin Benjamin had a tough matchup against a really tough Broncos defense and it was hard not to bench him. I was definitely one of those fantasy players who benched Benjamin in favor of a better matchup. And I wasn't the only one.
Benjamin scores
The play that ruined it all was a touchdown scored by Kelvin Benjamin after a Devontae Booker fumble.And they just crushed the hopes and dreams of fantasy players everywhere. But when you're huge like Benjamin, you're almost uncoverable as a wide receiver.
And people on Twitter were quick to express their frustration with the events of the game.
Twitter posts
Plenty of fantasy players out there were ready to shoot themselves in the foot after watching Benjamin rack up 9 fantasy points in just one quarter. I was one of those people, but there were many more out there ready to complain about their poor decision.
First night of fantasy and I forgot to start Kelvin Benjamin smh #itsalwaysthecoachesfault
— evan turner (@thekidet) September 9, 2016
If you took the time to Tweet about this, I don't think you actually "forgot" to start him in your fantasy leagues. It's far more likely that Benjaminwas benched in favor of a receiver with a better matchup. And plenty of other people made similar claims as well.
So I benched Khelvin Benjamin
— H Man (@HasanWazir10) September 9, 2016
The events of the night even had some wondering about the results of the Super Bowl last season. With Benjamin in the lineup, the Panthers have a huge target who can go up and get jump balls.
If only Cam had had Kelvin Benjamin in the Super Bowl.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 9, 2016
Without him, Cam was forced to rely on drop master Ted Ginn and talented tight end Greg Olsen.
Newton also relied on a combination of other, weaker wide receivers. Sounds like a lot of fantasy owners this week! To be fair, there are still injury concerns associated with a player who just came off ACL surgery.
"Kelvin Benjamin showing no effects of ACL" *** limps off field
— ✶ Sports Mockery ✶ (@sportsmockery) September 9, 2016
And fantasy owners probably got more concerned when Benjamin was nailed directly in the back of the leg.
As an owner, I would certainly fear the worst when any player suffers a big hit like that.
Kelvin Benjamin takes a low hit to the back of the legs. That had to hurt.
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) September 9, 2016
Conclusion
Despite the hit, Benjamin is still clearly an elite wide receiver who deserves to be played every week. The physical freak has already scored double-digit fantasy points against the best defense in the league and has shown virtually no signs of fatigue. If Benjamin is healthy, he belongs in your starting lineup every week.
