The Cleveland Browns are undertaking one of the most offensive and uncertain rebuilds in the NFL. One has to wonder if Sheadeur Sanders is the only semi-reliable skill player on the roster.
This rebuild is something that concerns analysts and managers of fantasy football. That’s why you have to dig a little deeper into the Rams to see what you can get there.
The Browns don’t have a quarterback
A team whose starting quarterback at the start of the season is a 40-year-old man with time on his hands like Joe Flacco is not a team, it’s a tragicomedy. Yes, they have Kenny Pickett, who is recovering from his hamstring and two other candidates.
One of them is the rookie Dillon Gabriel and the other is Shedeur Sanders, but both are just that, prospects with long-term star tags.
For fantasy, this is chaos, or rather a disaster. They have four passers, four arms and none of them have any real staying power.
Experts recommend avoiding investing in Cleveland’s QBs at all costs, except in Dynasty, where Sanders could have a higher ceiling if he earns the job.
Cleveland’s backfield promises
Well, well. What about the ground game? It’s not very encouraging, to say the least. Let’s see!
Quinshon Judkins, a second-round pick, is facing legal troubles that could derail his career before it takes off.
Dylan Sampson is another freshman who looks like an attractive sleeper if Judkins doesn’t play, but relying on an inexperienced RB in a predictable offense is a high risk.
Jerome Ford is the veteran of the group, barely surviving on the roster, relegated to a committee role and far from being relevant except as a temporary waiver.
The conclusion: in fantasy, Cleveland RBs are a roulette wheel. None of them are safe and they all come with an asterisk.
Wide receivers: wasted talent
Jerry Jeudy seemed to have a clear path after the departure of Amari Cooper. His end to 2024 was spectacular, with a 235-yard game that put him back on the radar. But without a consistent passer, it’s hard to trust him to repeat WR2 numbers.
Cedric Tillman, after recovering from a concussion, also looms as a possible surprise, although the risk is too high in standard leagues. Diontae Johnson further complicates the distribution of targets.
In summary, there is talent, but the context kills them. Jeudy could be a high-risk flex option, but not much more.
David Njoku: The Last Bastion?
The tight end is perhaps the only respite in Cleveland. David Njoku, despite injuries, has been a consistent mainstay in targets and receptions for three seasons. If things get ugly, an insecure QB will always look to the trusted TE. That makes Njoku a reasonable bet as a low TE1 or high TE2 in PPR formats.
However, even his value depends on the chemistry with whoever ends up throwing the passes. Another asterisk in a roster full of them.
Is Shedeur Sanders the only hope?
Fantasy analysts warn that relying on Sanders is risky:
Pros: surgical precision, reading defenses and ability to exploit play-action schemes like Kevin Stefanski‘s.
Cons: limited arm, lack of mobility and tendency to hold the ball too long, which already cost him more than 90 sacks in his last two college seasons.
Even so, compared to teammates without real upside, Sanders emerges as the most interesting figure for the Browns in the medium term. In dynasty leagues, he deserves a stash on the bench. In redraft, don’t even touch him.
The Browns seem destined for the bottom of the AFC North and also the bottom of fantasy leagues. With a backfield in crisis, WRs tied to the QB lottery and Njoku as the only semi-reliable option, the reality is that Shedeur Sanders could end up being the only spark of interest in Cleveland, albeit more for expectation than immediate results.
In short, unless you want to suffer, avoid the Browns in your drafts.
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