Cam Newton

Fantasy Upside
Cam Newton signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in late June, instantly vaulting himself from fantasy afterthought to one of the most interesting projections in the entire league. Which Newton will New England get? The former MVP and dynamic playmaker who carried the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2015? Or the broken down, erratic quarterback under center for Carolina the last couple of seasons? Only time will tell, but there are reasons to be optimistic about Newton in New England. Newton has historically been an excellent fantasy quarterback outside of recent seasons when he has been hampered by various injuries. Newton’s resume includes five seasons where he finished among the top four fantasy scorers at the position. His mobility, size and nose for the goal line provide him massive rushing and touchdown upside in a good offense. Newton has 58 career rushing touchdowns and has cleared 500 yards rushing in six of eight seasons where he played 14 or more games. His 2019 stats are ugly, but he only played in two games and was clearly limited by a foot injury suffered during the preseason. Newton’s struggles in recent years appear to stem from his injuries rather than regression in his skills under center. Assuming he is healthy and wins the starting job, Newton will have legitimate QB1 upside when paired with Bill Belichick who will surely leave no stone unturned in maximizing his new quarterback’s unique talents.

Fantasy Downside
Newton’s massive upside is accompanied by massive risk. His injury history since 2016 is troubling, particularly for a quarterback who relies on his mobility. Newton has had two surgeries on his throwing shoulder since 2016 and suffered the aforementioned Lisfranc fracture during last year’s preseason. Newton’s passing upside is also limited. The Patriots appear likely to roll out a run-heavy offense and he will have one of the weakest skill groups in the league to throw to. Finally, there is always the possibility that Newton never even wins the starting job. The Patriots made it clear that he was not guaranteed the job and claim to be excited about Jarrett Stidham’s prospects as a starting quarterback. While Newton should beat Stidham out to be the starter, there is a possibility Newton does not even start Week 1.

2020 Bottom Line
A healthy Cam Newton has historically been one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy and he could not ask for a better environment to make a comeback than New England. Newton should win the starting job and could easily finish as a QB1, but he carries as much risk as any quarterback on the board. Newton’s late-round ADP makes him a worthy gamble as a cheap option at the position.