After his third straight game without an interception, is it time to go all in on Cam?
Before Washington’s Robert Griffin III, Seattle’s Russell Wilson and San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick made it cool for quarterbacks to run again in the NFL, there was Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton. OK, maybe not much before those guys (Kaepernick was only taken a round after Cam in 2011), but his rookie season where he passed for over 4,000 yards and rushed for over 700 yards with 35 total touchdowns made the road to greatness easier for future dual threat quarterbacks.
Newton, in his third year now, has seen all of the above mentioned guys get heaped in praise and success while he has struggled through major fits of inconsistency. Times though, they may be a changing for Newton and his fantasy value.
After a Thursday night game that saw the Carolina Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get above .500 for the first time since 2008, Newton has emerged as a quarterback you want heading your fantasy squad. Newton passed for a solid 221 yards, added 50 rushing yards, and finished with three scores while not turning the ball over (via interception) for the third straight game.
This recent success, eight touchdowns in the past three games, is the latest example of how good Newton can be when his head is on right and his focus is on the field. The game before this recent surge, where he tossed three interceptions, is the other end of the spectrum for Newton.
So, which guy is going to show up for the rest of the season?
While time will ultimately tell the tale of whether Newton has finally made the leap to legit fantasy starter or whether this is just another example of the good side of his inconsistency, it’s my belief that good Cam is here to stay. Granted he has feasted on teams the last three weeks with a combined win total of four games and his upcoming schedule is littered with tougher opponents, but Newton is finally displaying the confidence needed to fully utilize his impressive skill set.
The final verdict on Newton is this — if you have him, keep him with confidence in knowing you will get good production from the spot. While not Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, he is going to put up good enough numbers to help anchor a possible fantasy championship run.
James LeBeau is an avid fantasy sports participant and a sports contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on twitter @Jlebeau76 or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Icon
