Artis-Payne gained 28 yards on nine carries and 12 yards on one reception (one target) in Friday's preseason game against the Patriots.
Artis-Payne was far better than his stat line suggests, bouncing off would-be tacklers to provide one of the few bright spots for an otherwise toothless Carolina offense. He got all of his touches while most of the starters were still in the game, clearly working ahead of Fozzy Whittaker and Brandon Wegher. While both figure to make the roster, Artis-Payne seems to be ahead of Whittaker in the battle to serve as Jonathan Stewart's top backup. Whittaker did get a bit more playing time with the starters through the first two weeks of the preseason, but he mostly seems to be an option for passing downs, as he's only taken four carries for three yards in three exhibition appearances. Artis-Payne is the preferred Stewart handcuff.