Week 13 at Los Angeles Chargers
Cam Newton continues to post meager passing numbers, meaning his fantasy relevance is almost entirely dependent on his rushing production. Newton is still a decent bet for a rushing score most weeks as he handles a good portion of goal-line carries for the Patriots, but his floor is incredibly low without any consistent passing production. Newton will look to bounce back from a dreadful Week 12 fantasy performance against a Chargers team that has been decent against the pass but is vulnerable to the ground game. You know the deal with Newton by now. He's a streamer/QB2 whose managers will be hoping he gets carries near the end zone.
Week 12 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Cam Newton continues to maintain fantasy relevance by racking up rushing production even as the Patriots struggle to move the ball through the air. Newton has nine rushing touchdowns on the season and continues to operate as New England's de facto goal-line back. In Week 12, Newton and the Patriots will take on Kyler Murray and the high-powered Arizona offense, a matchup that could lead to more passing volume for Newton if the Patriots fall behind early in the game. Arizona has been susceptible to running quarterbacks this season as they are in the bottom five of the league in both total rushing yards and yards per carry allowed to quarterbacks. The Cardinals' deficiencies defending mobile quarterbacks suggests Newton could have some upside as a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 in Week 12.
Week 11 at Houston Texans
Cam Newton continues to salvage his fantasy season on the ground despite his minuscule passing numbers. Newton already has nine rushing touchdowns, meaning he is on pace to break his own record for a quarterback in that statistical category. The Texans defense is all-around bad but they especially struggle to stop opposing rushing attacks, which could work in Newton's favor if he is heavily involved in the run game. However, if the Patriots are able to pound the ball between the tackles with their running backs, Newton's role in this game could be limited as he will never garner big passing volume in New England's current scheme. The soft matchup makes Newton a viable streamer for Week 11 and a solid start as a QB2 in deep leagues.
Week 10 vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Patriots surprisingly trailed for most of their game against the Jets last week which resulted in Cam Newton producing a solid fantasy day by throwing for 274 yards and rushing for two scores. Newton gets a much tougher matchup this week against the Ravens, although the projected game script may lend itself to additional passing volume which would give a small bump to Newton's fantasy projection. At the end of the day, if you're starting Newton in fantasy you're banking on rushing touchdowns. Newton is the de facto goal-line back in New England, but there is no guarantee he gets in the endzone against Baltimore. The tough matchup lowers Newton to a streaming option or QB2 in deep leagues.
Week 9 at New York Jets
The fairytale is over in New England. Cam Newton's precipitous drop into QB2 territory continued last week when he threw for 174 scoreless yards and coughed up a brutal fumble on a late drive. Newton did salvage his fantasy day with a rushing touchdown, but the sorry state of the Patriots offense means he will not be getting a high-volume of goal-line carries. Newton's fantasy relevance is almost entirely reliant on his rushing production as his passing has regressed from the start of the season and he has the worst skill position group in the NFL to work with. A matchup with the pathetic Jets makes Newton startable as a streamer or QB2, but he can no longer be locked into lineups as a QB1.
Week 8 at Buffalo Bills
For as good as the Cam Newton experience began in New England, the last few weeks have been rough. Newton has played poorly ever since returning from his COVID-19 diagnosis. In his last two games, Newton has only thrown for a total of 255 yards with no touchdowns and a miserable five interceptions. In stark contrast to the start of the year when Newton was essentially the Patriots' goal-line back, he has only recorded one rushing touchdown in those two games. It is becoming increasingly clear that Newton's fantasy production will depend primarily on his rushing production in 2020. He should still get plenty of opportunity to put up numbers on the ground, but this fact makes him much more volatile for fantasy than initially expected and makes him a low-end QB1 with plenty of risk for disappointing performances moving forward.
Week 7 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Cam Newton's recent passing performances have left plenty to be desired, but his fantasy profile is bolstered by consistent production on the ground. Newton has nine or more carries in every game he's played this season and is averaging over 50 yards rushing per game with five rushing touchdowns. Even as New England struggles to move the ball through the air, Newton maintains QB1 status because of his dual-threat upside. The 49ers defense has been decent despite being ravaged by injuries, but they were torched by Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 5 and conceded 90 yards and a touchdown on the ground to Kyler Murray in Week 1. Newton's passing struggles push him down the ranks, but he still is worthy of low-end QB1 treatment.
Week 6 vs. Denver Broncos
Cam Newton was cleared to practice on Thursday so it certainly looks like he will return as the Patriots' starting quarterback against Denver in Week 6. Newton's return instantly upgrades the fantasy prospects of just about everyone associated with the New England offense. The Broncos are a bit of a pass-funnel defense as they are good at stopping the run, which is what New England does best on offense. Newton may have to pass more than the Patriots would like in this one, but he still profiles as a strong QB1 as he can put up numbers through the air when called upon and still has unique rushing upside at the quarterback position. Get Newton back into starting lineups for Week 6 and his presence should be highly beneficial to the entire offense's production.
Week 4 at Kansas City Chiefs
Cam Newton has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Kansas City.
Week 3 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
It only took two weeks for Cam Newton to re-establish himself as a premier QB1 in fantasy football. Newton's robust rushing workload (26 carries in two games) gives him a very high floor and New England appears intent on giving him plenty of goal line looks this season. Even more promising is Newton's performance as a passer. Newton showed no lingering effects of his bad shoulder on Sunday against Seattle where he racked up nearly 400 yards passing on 44 attempts. Now the Patriots get to host a soft Las Vegas secondary that gave up 30 points to Carolina in Week 1 and 300 yards to Drew Brees in Week 2. Newton will always be startable just based on his rushing upside, but he has blowup potential again in Week 3. Start him with confidence as a QB1.
