2025 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview
2025 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview The 2025 NFL Draft provided the perfect opportunity for GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski to hit reset on a roster that fell to 3-14 last season. Mission accomplished. The Browns added weapons on both sides of the ball and acquired Jacksonville’s first-rounder in 2026. While the draft brought an infusion of youth, that didn’t necessarily apply to the most important position. Deshaun Watson’s albatross contract still hamstrings the Browns. Recovering from a torn Achilles, Watson is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. 40-year-old Joe Flacco is expected to take over as the starter in his return to Cleveland. Kenny Pickett, third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, and embattled fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders give the Browns depth under center. Nick Chubb was not retained, which opens the door for second-round Ohio State rookie Quinshon Judkins to take over as the starter. Judkins (6-0, 219) has good size and ranked 4th in FBS with 179 missed tackles forced in 2024. He was the third running back selected in this deep class and has RB2 upside in an offense that wants to rely on the rushing attack. Judkins will form a solid tandem with Jerome Ford, who averaged 5.4 yards per tote last season and caught 37 balls. Fourth-round Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson has a three-down skill set and gives the Browns depth after they ranked 27th in rushing EPA last season. Flacco winning the starting job and staying there would be a welcome development for Cleveland’s underwhelming passing attack. Even in a lost season, Jerry Jeudy ranked 7th with 144 targets. He only caught 90 of those looks (62.5 percent catch rate), but still produced 1,229 receiving yards. Jeudy is locked into the WR1 slot, while Cedric Tillman looks like a solid late-round sleeper target. Tillman had a monster three-game stretch before a concussion ended his season. With Amari Cooper gone, Tillman projects to be Cleveland’s WR2. Michael Woods, DeAndre Carter, Diontae Johnson, and David Bell will vie for WR 3 duties. With David Njoku, the Browns were already set at tight end. However, they added promising Bowling Green rookie Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round. Njoku ranked 6th with 13.1 fantasy points per game, and Fannin set an FBS record with 117 receptions in 2024 for 1,555 yards. Cleveland only used multiple tight ends on 16.4 percent of their snaps in 2024, which ranked 22nd. The addition of Fannin and the lack of wideout depth indicate that rate will climb significantly in 2025. Fantasy Grade: D QB Flacco, Joe, CLE [QB1] It looks like Deshaun Watson (Achilles) won’t play in 2025. As insurance, the Cleveland Browns re-signed Joe Flacco as the transitional starter. Flacco famously went ham for the Browns in 2023, throwing for 323 yards and 2.6 touchdowns per game in a five-game stint to end the season and lead the Browns to the playoffs. We can’t expect that kind of production in the reunion, but Flacco is a reliable veteran who will push the ball downfield. As a pure passer, Flacco is a significant upgrade from anyone else on the roster, and good news for Cleveland pass catchers. ADVICE: Could post surprisingly decent numbers as a streaming option. QB Pickett, Kenny, CLE [QB2] The Browns first signed Kenny Pickett as insurance in case Deshaun Watson misses the 2025 season. Cleveland also added veteran Joe Flacco and drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. These additions will make it difficult for Pickett to make much of an impact this season. ADVICE: Only has modest Superflex appeal if he somehow wins Cleveland’s starting job. RB Judkins, Quinshon, CLE [RB1] Cleveland’s rushing attack struggled without Nick Chubb last season, ranking dead last in attempts (312) and 31st in yards (1,253). They also averaged just 4.0 yards per carry with a mere seven touchdowns. Browns’ backs caught 63 passes for 429 yards and one touchdown on 87 targets. Enter Quinshon Judkins from Ohio State, who scored 50 touchdowns in 42 games. Despite fewer carries in 2024 (194 versus 274 and 271 previously), he scored consistently and added 59 receptions for 442 yards and five touchdowns on 72 career targets. Judkins will replace Chubb in a Cleveland offense that wants to establish the run. UPDATE: Judkins is facing serious charges for an offseason domestic assault. We’re now recommending that fantasy managers fade the rookie. Only the Cleveland Browns. ADVICE: Great landing spot, but Judkins’s offseason arrest complicates his immediate and long-term future. RB Ford, Jerome, CLE [RB2] Jerome Ford went from backing up Nick Chubb to potentially playing behind two rookie rushers. Ford performed well as Cleveland’s top back last year, ranking top 10 in routes run (236), yards per touch (5.6), and explosive play rate (106.8). But with the Browns adding Quinshon Judkins in Round 2 and Dylan Sampson in Round 4, Ford won’t be able to match last year’s 54.1 percent snap share. Instead, Ford is more likely to be the change-of-pace and main passing down option, but with Judins’s availability now in doubt, he becomes a nice value target. ADVICE: Has some PPR value as a stash, or low-end flex option in deeper leagues. RB Sampson, Dylan, CLE [RB3] ADVICE: Tennessee’s all-time single-season TD record holder (22), Sampson has explosive acceleration. With Judkins now in doubt, Sampson has an outside shot at posting usable fantasy stats. He’s a strong late-round draft target. WR Jeudy, Jerry, CLE [WR1] No wide receiver ran more routes last year than Jerry Jeudy’s 700. Despite being hampered by a Cleveland offense that scored the fewest points in the league, Jeudy delivered WR16 overall numbers. His massive target load (144) and sheer volume of catches (90) were enough to overcome low touchdown production and eight drops. With Joe Flacco projected to open the season under center, Jeudy will remain heavily involved in Cleveland’s game plan. Jeudy was primarily targeted downfield in 2024, but his elite route-running should open up more underneath targets. That could lead to an increased
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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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?
To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players
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Cleveland Browns Training Camp Questions
These important Cleveland Browns Training Camp Questions will help focus our attention on what’s needed from them this Fantasy Football season!
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