2024 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview
2024 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview Facing adversity is nothing new for Cleveland football fans. The Browns were decimated by injuries in 2023 but Kevin Stefanski did a remarkable job rallying the squad to an unlikely playoff berth and earned NFL
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Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 17
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 17 The highlight of the final Thursday game of the 2023 fantasy season is that the game gets to kick off championship week. While last week’s Saints vs. Rams tilt hit the over, FullTime Fantasy‘s
The highlight of the final Thursday game of the 2023 fantasy season is that the game gets to kick off championship week. While last week’s Saints vs. Rams tilt hit the over, FullTime Fantasy‘s Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 17 features the Browns hosting the NFL’s most futile offense in the lowly New York Jets.
16th-year pro Joe Flacco has been a revelation for the Browns. Cleveland has started four different signal-callers this season. However, the Browns are in contention for the AFC’s top seed with a nifty 10-5 record.
Meanwhile, the Jets have also had to play the quarterback carousel. But Robert Saleh has not enjoyed anywhere near as much success. At least not on offense. Saleh’s defense ranks third in the NFL.
Saleh does keep his club ready to compete and they will undoubtedly be ready to play spoiler.
New York opened as 6.5-point underdogs and the total was a ghastly 35 points.
Matchup
| TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
| New York Jets | 32 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 30 |
| Cleveland Browns | 13 | 20 | 11 | 28 | 10 |
New York’s season effectively ended after four snaps. After losing Aaron Rodgers, the Jets have struggled to mount any kind of credible offense. Zach Wilson fared about as well as expected before losing – and regaining- the starting job. Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian have also contributed to the futility.
Siemian will make his second start this week and faces a tough task. Cleveland boasts the NFL’s No. 1 defense. The Browns lead the league in passing defense, interception rate, third-down efficiency, and fewest yards per play.
Meanwhile, Flacco has resurrected a stagnant offense. Cleveland has averaged 29 points per game in Flacco’s three starts. However, the Jets have the No. 2 pass defense and won’t allow the big plays that the Browns produced in Houston.
Points will be at a premium in this one. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean this game is a fantasy football fade.
New York Offense
How will Thursday’s Jets vs. Browns game go?
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Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 9
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 9 We are now more than halfway through the 2023 fantasy football season. The playoffs are rapidly approaching, which means we have entered ‘must-win’ territory for many fantasy managers. But, complicating matters in Week 9 is a brutal bye week. Our Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 9 will help you maximize your waiver wire adds and get the most out of your lineup. Week 9 Byes: Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, San Francisco Quarterbacks Start ‘Em Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers) vs. Los Angeles Rams It’s desperation week at quarterback, with four teams on a bye and a multitude of injuries plaguing the position. Fantasy managers will have no choice but to deploy Love in their lineups. His recent performance has been lackluster, with three consecutive games yielding fewer than 16 points. However, the Rams’ defense has been porous against quarterbacks, with three of them exceeding 27 points since Week 4. Also, LA has given up a league-high four rushing touchdowns to the position. Meanwhile, Love has rushed for a score in two of his three games at Lambeau Field. It’s a gamble, but say a prayer and insert him into your starting lineup. Gardner Minshew (Indianapolis Colts) at Carolina Over the last three weeks, Minshew has maintained an average of 18.8 fantasy points per game. That ranks 10th among quarterbacks. He has thrown for at least 200 yards in each of these three games and has found the end zone seven times during that span. Also, Indianapolis has one of the most favorable matchups for quarterbacks this week, as Carolina’s defense has allowed touchdowns on 5.2% of pass attempts, the fifth-highest rate in the league. Additionally, the Colts tend to pass the ball 55.6% of the time when they have a lead, which is among the top 10 rates in the NFL. With several quarterbacks on a bye or unavailable due to injuries, Minshew is a viable option for fantasy managers facing tough decisions. Sit ‘Em Sam Howell (Washington Commanders) at New England Howell is coming off a remarkable game, throwing for 397 yards and four touchdowns in Philadelphia. However, his upcoming matchup against New England poses a greater challenge. The Patriots’ defense has been formidable against quarterbacks at home. Only one quarterback has thrown for more than 250 yards in New England. Also, the Patriots limited Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa to subpar fantasy outings at Gillette. Bill Belichick will be able to scheme up a way to limit the turnover-prone Howell. Running Backs Start ‘Em Darrell Henderson (Los Angeles Rams) at Green Bay Henderson took the field for 48% of the snaps in Week 8, accumulating 12 carries and two targets. Although he continued to share snaps with Royce Freeman, he led the team in carries and touches. Frustratingly, Freeman stole a goal-line touchdown from Henderson. Nonetheless, Henderson has demonstrated a consistent performance, surpassing 11 fantasy points in both of his 2023 appearances. This week, he could reach his fantasy ceiling against Green Bay. The Packers have allowed over 100 rushing yards per game and six rushing touchdowns to running backs in seven games. Also, they’ve given up a significant number of receptions to the position, making them the seventh-most generous defense to running backs in terms of fantasy points. Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers) vs. Indianapolis Despite Miles Sanders’ return to full participation in practice, Hubbard retained his role as the primary early-down back in Week 8. He also took on the responsibility of third-down plays, while Sanders focused on running routes. Since taking over as the Panthers’ lead running back, Hubbard has averaged 11.7 fantasy points per game, ranking 26th among all running backs. The Colts provide an excellent matchup for running backs, as they’ve allowed the second-highest fantasy points per game to the position. Hubbard should be a consistent fantasy starter moving forward and is a must-start option in this game. Sit ‘Em Dameon Pierce (Houston Texans) vs. Tampa Bay Pierce had a lackluster outing with just 4.6 fantasy points against the Panthers. He shared snaps with Devin Singletary, and it was Singletary who handled passing-down duties. Additionally, Pierce struggled at the goal line and just popped up on Houston’s injury report. With his inconsistent performance and a matchup against the Bucs, who rank in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed to running backs, it’s advisable to avoid starting Pierce for the foreseeable future. Alexander Mattison (Minnesota Vikings) at Atlanta Mattison started the season well, finishing as a top-24 fantasy back in five of his first six games. However, he has fallen out of favor in recent weeks as Cam Akers has become more involved. The running back split between Mattison and Akers has been unpredictable, making it difficult to rely on either. Furthermore, the Falcons have one of the league’s stingiest defenses against running backs, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game. Given these factors, it’s best to consider alternatives to Mattison in this matchup. Wide Receivers Start ‘Em Nico Collins (Houston Texans) vs. Tampa Bay In Week 8, the entire Houston offense, led by C.J. Stroud, struggled against the Carolina Panthers. Stroud only managed 140 passing yards in what should have been a favorable matchup, resulting in a disappointing performance for all receivers. However, Stroud will bounce back. And Collins, as his favorite target, should benefit. Collins has received at least six targets in all but two games and, despite only having three touchdowns this season, he has a promising opportunity against the Buccaneers, who allow the ninth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Expect the Texans to come out aggressively, with Stroud targeting Collins frequently. Collins is a solid WR2 option this week. Amari Cooper (Cleveland Browns) vs. Arizona Cardinals Cooper has consistently seen at least six targets per game this season, and his target volume has increased to at least eight when P.J. Walker is under center. Also, Cooper has recorded 85 or more receiving yards in two of his last three games. While his performance has
2023 Cleveland Browns Outlook
2023 Cleveland Browns Outlook The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview
2023 Cleveland Browns Outlook
The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.
Also, check out Jody Smith’s NFL offensive line rankings and exclusive 2023 Strength of Schedule analysis.
Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Cleveland Browns Outlook.
— Quarterback —
Deshaun Watson
Over his final three seasons with the Texans, Watson went 25-22 with two winning years (11-5 and 10-5). His completion rate (68.7) and yards per pass attempt (8.3) were exceptional, but he ranked below the league average in pass attempts per game (32.9). Watson had his best fantasy season in 2020 (led the NFL in passing yards – 4,823) while delivering 36 combined touchdowns. He was active in the run game from 2018 to 2020 (99/551/5, 82/413/7, and 90/44/3). His most significant obstacle to success came via sacks (62, 44, and 49) during this span.
The Browns ranked poorly in passing attempts (539 – 19th, 501 – 28th, 520 – 28th, and 540 – 21st) and passing yards (3,847 – 22nd, 3,701 – 27th, 3,619 – 27th, and 3710 – 23rd) over the past four seasons.
Watson wasn’t worth the investment by Cleveland last season, putting their coaching staff on the hit seat in 2023 if they don’t make the playoffs. He had 31 or fewer passes in five of his starts, leading to fewer than 170 yards passing in four games and only two matchups with more than one score. Watson held form in the run game (36/175/1) but had weakness in his completion rate (58.2 – 67.8 over his previous 1,748 pass attempts) and yards per pass attempt (6.5 – 8.3 before 2022).
Fantasy Outlook: Cleveland upgraded their wide receiving corps in the offseason by trading for Elijah Moore and drafting Cedric Tillman. Amari Cooper (78/1,160/9), Donovan Peoples-Jones (61/839/3), and David Njoku (58/628/4) played well in 2022, giving Watson plenty of firepower to move the ball. His career path suggests that 4,500 combined yards and 30 touchdowns are a reasonable floor. If Tillman and Moore play well, Watson should beat his early draft ranking at quarterback (9th).
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Over his 49 games in college, Thompson-Robinson passed for 10,695 yards with 88 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He helped his value with his production (471/1,828/28) on the ground. His completion rate (69.6) moved to an elite area in his senior year at USC. Thompson-Robinson scored 39 times in 2022 with a combined 3,801 yards over 13 starts.
Other Options: Joshua Dobbs, Kellen Mond
— Running Backs —
Other than rushing attempts (450), the Browns’ running backs regressed in rushing yards (2,104), yards per rush (4.7), touchdowns (18), catches (67), receiving yards (464), and targets (88) from 2021. Their backs gained a combined 2,568 yards, leading to 25.4 FPPG in PPR formats. Cleveland should run the ball well over 500 times this year, but Deshaun Watson will steal touchdowns and many carries.
Nick Chubb
Over five seasons with the Browns, Chubb has been a phenomenal running back based on his yards per rush (5.2, 5.0, 5.6, 5.5, and 5.0). He was a workhorse back in 2019 (334 touches), leading to 1,772 combined yards with eight touchdowns and 36 catches.
Chubb missed seven games in 2020 and 2021 while also losing touches to a second rotational back. He averaged 17.7 touches in 2021 (17.2 in 2020) while ranking him 13th in running back scoring (216.30) in PPR formats. Surprisingly, Chubb was a much better player on the road (810 combined yards with six touchdowns and 11 catches over seven games). He gained more than 100 yards rushing in five matchups (once at home).
Last season, Chubb posted the best year of his career (282.40 fantasy points – 6th), leading to new tops in rush attempts (302), rushing yards (1,525), and touchdowns (13). He gained more than 100 combined yards in 11 games, with seven of those outcomes coming over the first eight games. His season ended with no rushing scores over six consecutive matchups when Deshaun Watson took over at quarterback. Cleveland gave him less than half of their running back pass-catching opportunity (27/239/1).
Fantasy Outlook: With Kareem Hunt off the roster, Chubb looks poised to push his stats higher. His ceiling will remain limited in the passing game, and Deshaun Watson will snip some rushing scores. On the positive side, a better quarterback should lead to more offense by the Browns. Let’s shoot for 350 touches for 1,850 yards with 14 scores and 30 catches. Chubb is the seventh-ranked running back selected in the early draft season in the high-stakes market.
Jerome Ford
Cleveland added Ford in the fifth round in 2021 after having his best season (215/1,319 with 21 catches for 220 yards and one score) in college. He had a limited opportunity over his first three years (696 combined yards with 11 touchdowns and ten catches).
His speed is better than the league average at the running back position. Ford runs with an upright style with the ability to sidestep defenders and break tackles. He will take what the defense will give him while having the gear to finish long runs with scores if given a lane. With more experience, Ford will develop into a better runner.
Fantasy Outlook: The backup running back position is up for grabs in 2023. Ford is the front-runner to take over the Kareem Hunt role in the Browns’ offense…
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE BROWNS IN 2023?
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