Team Profile
Cleveland Browns
-
-31.7% 32ndOff DVOA
-
-30.1% 32ndPassing DVOA
-
-17.6% 29thRushing DVOA
-
4% 25thDef DVOA
-
16.7% 28thDef Passing DVOA
-
-10.6% 15thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
-
Points For15.2 32nd
-
Points Against25.6 25th
-
Yards Per Game301.0 28th
-
Yards Allowed Per Game342.0 17th
The Cleveland Browns are entering the offseason with the mindset that Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is their starting quarterback, head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media. The position proved to be a revolving door for the Browns this season as they started five different players. Walker started six of the Browns' nine games, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added 142 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and two lost fumbles. Several injuries to Watson, including a season-ending shoulder issue, prompted the Browns to experiment with P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but neither of them produced great results. Veteran Joe Flacco took over in Week 13 and would start the next five games before Jeff Driskel got the nod in the regular-season finale. Flacco completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. With that said, Flacco is set to hit free agency this offseason and the Browns will return to Watson once he's healthy, presumably due to the fact that they gave up six draft picks (including three first-rounders) for him and then signed him to a five-year, $230 million deal. He ranks as a fantasy QB2 heading into the 2024 campaign.
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku caught seven of his 11 targets for 93 yards in a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. Njoku wound up leading the team in targets and receiving yards in the loss, capping off an extraordinary late-season run for the athletic tight end. Njoku wound up turning in a career year this past season, setting career-highs in catches (81), yards (882), and touchdowns (six). Njoku showed excellent chemistry with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who targeted the big tight end heavily over his six-game stretch of starts. The veteran will be back as Cleveland's starting tight end for the 2024 season, although he will likely go back to catching passes from Deshaun Watson and not Flacco.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell caught all eight of his targets for 54 yards in a 45-14 playoff loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday. Bell wound up leading the Browns in catches while finishing fourth on the team in receiving yards in the loss on Saturday afternoon. The second-year receiver came on strong over the final month of the season, catching 16 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns across the past five games (including the playoff loss to Houston). With a strong offseason, Bell could open the 2024 campaign as the team's No. 3 receiver behind Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore. He's worth stashing in deeper dynasty leagues this offseason.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore caught both of his targets for 12 yards in a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. Moore was quiet in Cleveland's disappointing loss, finishing behind Harrison Bryant and David Bell in receiving. The veteran wideout caps off an up-and-down first season with Cleveland with a career-high 640 receiving yards but just two touchdowns. Moore's numbers took a hit when Joe Flacco took over as quarterback as the veteran QB preferred concentrating his targets on David Njoku and Amari Cooper. Moore's numbers could improve in 2024 with Deshaun Watson expected to return to the QB1 spot next season as the two showed nice chemistry together in the early portions of the season.
Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford carried the ball nine times for 17 yards and added four catches for 15 yards in a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. Ford was quiet in his first playoff game as the Browns fell behind 24-14 at halftime and had to shift to a pass-first approach in the second half. Ford turned in a solid effort as Cleveland's lead back after the team lost Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Chubb is likely to be back at some point early in the 2024 season but Ford has certainly earned himself a role as the No. 2 running back in Cleveland moving forward. With Chubb set to become a free-agent after next season, Ford remains an interesting long-term asset in dynasty formats.