Team Profile
Cleveland Browns
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-35.1% 32ndOff DVOA
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-33.7% 32ndPassing DVOA
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-16.9% 30thRushing DVOA
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3% 19thDef DVOA
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12.7% 21stDef Passing DVOA
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-8.2% 16thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For16.4 29th
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Points Against23.7 21st
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Yards Per Game274.0 31st
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Yards Allowed Per Game328.0 16th
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said coming out of the team's bye week that quarterback Jameis Winston remains the team's starting QB heading into their Week 11 contest against the Winston's former team, the New Orleans Saints. The 30-year-old veteran pulled off a surprising upset of the division-rival Baltimore Ravens in his first start in Week 8 but then fell flat against a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense in Week 9 before going on bye. Although Winston looked pretty bad before the bye, the Browns are going to give him another shot with Deshaun Watson (Achilles) done for the year. The alternative to Winston would be Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Winston doesn't exactly have the greatest supporting cast of receivers and should be considered an interception-prone, low-end QB2 in fantasy against a Saints D that hasn't been a great matchup for opposing QBs.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Barry said "it's always possible" that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) will return to play football for the team again after he recovers from his torn Achilles. Watson had surgery to fix his torn right Achilles last Friday, and barring a setback in his lengthy rehab, the 29-year-old signal-caller should be ready for the start of the 2025 season next fall. Before his injury, though, Watson looked like the worst QB in the league, completing 63.4 percent of his 216 pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while taking a league-high 33 sacks in just seven games. Since joining the team in 2022, Watson has been injured and ineffective, completing 61.2% of his passes with 19 TDs and 12 picks. He's due $46 million in each of the next two seasons, which is a lot of money to pay an ineffective and oft-injured QB.
The Cleveland Browns have received interest on tight end David Njoku but they are "highly unlikely" to trade him by Tuesday's deadline, according to sources. The Browns view Njoku as part of their long-term future. Njoku wasn't as impressive in the Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers as he was in quarterback Jameis Winston's first start in the Week 8 win over the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, but the 28-year-old tight end should maintain a higher fantasy ceiling and floor the rest of the way in 2024 with receiver Amari Cooper now in Buffalo. Njoku has had at least five catches in four straight games and has caught 10 of his 14 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown the last two games with Winston starting. Consider Njoku to be on the TE1 radar for a much better matchup in Week 11 against the floundering New Orleans Saints after Cleveland's Week 10 bye.
Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins made one of his two field goals and added an extra point in a 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. Hopkins drilled a 38-yarder in the contest but had a 51-yard attempt blocked by the Chargers in the fourth quarter. The veteran kicker has now made 14 of his 18 field-goal attempts and 10 of his 11 extra points through nine games this season. He will be on bye in Week 10 before heading on the road to face the New Orleans Saints.
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku caught five of his seven targets for 29 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. Njoku was quiet in the lopsided loss just a week after going for 61 yards and a touchdown. That being said, Njoku has now drawn 28 targets over his past three games and should continue to return solid TE1 numbers with Jameis Winston under center. The Browns are on bye in Week 10 before they take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 11.