When I came up with the fantasy team name It’s Not A Rookie, It’s A Cam Newton this year, it was really just a play off of It Not A Cookie, It’s A Fig Newton. I didn’t realize that the Panthers were drafting a new team when they picked Newton, but the kid has been a machine.
He has not played like a rookie at all and has inspired me to look at some stats that matter and may help you make decisions this coming week and throughout the season.
Cam Newton and Steve Smith
Like I said before, Newton has been money. Thus far he has mainly been doing it alone, hardly getting help from the running game. Newton not only has passed for 854 yards, second most in the NFL, but has also nearly totaled the amount of yards his running backs have combined (Newton= 71 rushing, Williams and Stewart= 75 yards).
Thus far Steve Smith has benefited from Newton the most, coming back to fantasy relevance and becoming a must start right now. Don’t expect either of them to stop this week as they have play Jaguars at home. This should be another juicy match up.
Miles Austin and Jason Witten
These stats are obviously somewhat influenced by the lack of play from Dez Bryant. That aside, Miles Austin and Jason Witten have been targeted 24 and 23 times respectively, marking up 14 and 13 receptions. They are sporting nearly identical stats per catch with 16.6 and 16.3 YPC.
However, even with the limited play of Bryant, Witten has yet to score a touchdown. Traditionally we know that Witten doesn’t score often, which is boding well for Austin and his four TDs this year.
Arian Foster and Ben Tate
Ben Tate is third in the league in rushing with 219 yards. Arian Foster is still limping. I thought about ending this here, but it isn’t enough.
Listen, I understand that Foster had this many yards after the first game last year, but Tate is looking like a very solid option. Tate is leading the league in rushes for first downs with 16. What more can you ask for besides moving the chains and helping your team score??
Foster is too much of a talent to sit when he comes back, so don’t worry about that, but the Texans did spend a second round pick on Tate and I doubt they plan on wasting their talents. I expect Foster’s carries to be limited for a few weeks and expect more of a time share going forward.
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The post Fantasy Football Week 3: Stats That Matter Involving Cam Newton/Steve Smith, Miles Austin/Jason Witten, and Arian Foster/Ben Tate appeared first on Midwest Sports Fans.