49ers at Panthers: 5 best fantasy options
By John Buhler
1. Cam Newton
If Cam Newton is on your fantasy team, you play him every week, especially against the 49ers on Sunday. San Francisco looks improved, but the Rams might actually be terrible. How the 49ers play on Sunday will be a better sign of what they are as a football team going forward.
The problem for the 49ers is that they’ll going against last season’s league MVP in Newton. Newton became a superstar NFL quarterback in year five out of Auburn University. His dynamic on-field leadership, his rocket arm, and his ability to make plays with his feet when needed set him apart from everybody else in this game.
Don’t expect Newton to throw for a ton of yards in this game. He’s probably not going to eclipse 300 against the 49ers, as Carolina will look to ground and pound offensively. Newton should get at least one rushing touchdown in this game. He’ll probably throw for two as well: one to Olsen and one to another Panthers receiver.
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Should Newton throw for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, he’ll have at least 18 points on his passing performance alone. Combine that total with 40 yards on the ground and a touchdown run, you’d be looking at well over 28 fantasy points on Sunday versus the 49ers defense.