Waiver Wire Week 1: Highlighting Top Pickups from 2020 Preseason

Now that Cam Newton has earned the New England Patriots' starting quarterback job, he has to be considered as a viable fantasy football option for Week 1 and beyond.

Newton may not be the first-choice quarterback on your roster right away, but he is worth a pickup before you run out of time to land him.

Other preseason developments across the NFL have led to Washington running back Antonio Gibson and New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder being solid waiver-wire options.

Gibson has an opportunity to succeed in his rookie season with Adrian Peterson off the roster, while Crowder appears to be the best option for Sam Darnold among a depleted wide receiver group.

Top Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Pickups

Cam Newton, QB, New England

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Newton remains a bit of an unknown quantity because of the injuries that led to his exit from the Carolina Panthers, but he is still worth adding because of his Week 1 matchup.

In some cases, the Patriots quarterback could be a Week 1 fantasy starter since he takes on the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.

In four Week 1 home openers with the Panthers, Newton completed at least 64 percent of his passes and averaged 201.5 passing yards. Before he suffered a season-ending injury in 2019, Newton produced 572 passing yards in two games.

The most value Newton will carry is with passing yards and touchdowns. It may take a few weeks for his rushing total to go up as he finds more comfort in the New England system and tests his body more.

Although Miami improved its defense, Sunday will mark the first time its new-look defense will be on the field together. A year ago, the Dolphins allowed the seventh-most passing yards and the most passing scores.

Miami's secondary may not be that bad in 2020, but it could take time for it to significantly improve, which may lead to a solid showing out of Newton.

If Newton thrives in Week 1 against Miami's defense, a rush of waiver-wire adds could come in his direction because of his past status as a top fantasy quarterback in Carolina.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington

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Washington threw a wrench in the running back market by letting go of Adrian Peterson during the final roster cut.

Peterson's departure opens the door for Gibson, a 2020 third-round pick out of Memphis, to take the lead in the backfield.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera believes there are plenty of ways his team can utilize Gibson, per ESPN.com's John Keim.

"There's a lot that we can do with a young man like him," Rivera said.

In his final season at Memphis, Gibson caught 38 passes for 735 yards and earned 33 carries for 369 yards.

The versatility Gibson brings to the gridiron makes him an intriguing selection in points-per-reception leagues, starting with the Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2019, the Eagles allowed running backs to earn 87 catches for 645 yards and a touchdown, which ranked in the middle of the NFL.

If Gibson can exploit gaps between the linebackers and secondary, he could be a reliable option for Dwayne Haskins throughout the season. And were he to perform well at FedEx Field, Gibson may be one of the most coveted pickups at a high-demand position.

With that in mind, Gibson could be worth the waiver-wire selection before Week 1 given how much of the ball he should see.

Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets

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The New York Jets have one of the worst wide receiver situations in the NFL, which makes Sam Darnold a less-than-ideal fantasy quarterback.

Crowder could be the only player from that group worthy of a fantasy pickup because he is a known commodity across the NFL. He earned career highs in targets and receptions and was 14 yards off his best receiving total in 2019 with the Jets.

Since Breshad Perriman, Chris Hogan and others have not taken hold of spots at the top of the depth chart, Crowder see a high volume of throws in his direction.

The Jets' Week 1 matchup with the Buffalo Bills may scare some fantasy players away from Crowder, but two of his most successful games in 2019 came against the Bills. In Week 1, Crowder caught 14 of his 17 targets for 99 yards, and in Week 17, he hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 66 yards.

If Darnold looks to Crowder at a high rate once again against Buffalo, he could emerge as a surprise top producer at wide receiver.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference and Sports Reference.