Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Andre Brown got the start for the New York Giants against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday and exploded for the second game in a row.

It makes him a viable fantasy football option moving forward.

While David Wilson—a first-round pick this year—was barely used versus Carolina, Brown got 20 carries and responded by rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

What's more notable is that head coach Tom Coughlin appears to not trust Wilson right now. In the rookie's second carry of his NFL career in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, he fumbled the football. He was benched for the remainder of the game.

Translation: Coughlin no like fumbles.

Wilson got just three carries last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Brown rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 13 rushes (5.5 yards per carry).

The Giants ended up winning that game in a shootout, 41-34. They overcame a 27-16 deficit in the fourth quarter, rattling off 25 points. Brown scored the game-winning touchdown on a two-yard plunge with 31 seconds remaining.

More importantly, Brown has yet to fumble the ball. As long as he takes care of the pigskin I doubt Wilson will surpass him this season on the depth chart.

Now, Bradshaw is day-to-day and could be back any week, but that doesn't mean Brown will be ignored moving forward. He will most certainly be the goal-line back. It's also worth noting that Bradshaw wasn't particularly electric against Tampa Bay before going down last week. He rushed for 16 yards on five carries.

Also, keep in mind that Bradshaw has a history of injury problems. He missed four games last season. The Giants know this, evidenced by the fact that former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs still got 152 carries last season alongside Bradshaw (versus Bradshaw's 171). It behooves New York to lighten Bradshaw's load.

Brown is certainly worth stashing on your bench and he's worth starting against a poor Philadelphia Eagles run defense next week if Bradshaw is out.

Tweet me your thoughts.