Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (right shoulder) remained limited in practice on Thursday. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey revealed that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start at quarterback in Week 17, and he also acknowledged that Bailey Zappe could back him up if Winston isn't healthy yet. In such a scenario, Winston would be inactive for the second consecutive week, serving as Cleveland's emergency third quarterback. Regardless of whether Winston enters Sunday as the Browns' No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback, the bottom line is that he remains off the fantasy radar with Thompson-Robinson getting another chance as the starting quarterback.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (calf) will make his second straight start in Week 17 on Sunday against the visiting Miami Dolphins, according to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Thompson-Robinson aggravated a calf injury in the Week 16 loss to the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals, but he's been able to practice on a limited basis so far this week and will be good to go this weekend. The 25-year-old took over for the benched Jameis Winston last week and struggled to move the football in his first start of the year despite facing a porous Bengals defense. DTR completed only 20 of his 34 pass attempts last Sunday for 157 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also fumbled once. He'll have a tougher matchup this weekend against Miami and could be without tight end David Njoku (knee), who he targeted 10 times last week. DTR will be a desperation low-end QB2 in fantasy.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) was not seen at practice on Thursday during the portion open to the media. Njoku was also listed as a non-participant for Wednesday's practice estimation, putting his status firmly in question for the Week 17 contest against the visiting Miami Dolphins this Sunday. The 28-year-old will most likely have to practice in some fashion on Friday to have a chance of suiting up this weekend. Njoku missed the Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs due to a hamstring injury but returned in last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and caught eight of 10 targets for 66 yards in quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson's (calf) first start of the year. Njoku will most certainly be on the TE1 radar in Week 17 if he can play. Jordan Akins would see an expanded role if Njoku is ruled out, but he wouldn't be worth streaming in fantasy championship matchups.

Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said on Thursday that the offense is preparing for their Week 17 game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins as if quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (calf) will start. Thompson-Robinson was estimated as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice. Jameis Winston (shoulder) was inactive for last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, so the Browns would be down to Bailey Zappe as their starter if both Thompson-Robinson and Winston were unavailable this week. It sounds like Thompson-Robinson will be good to go in Week 17, although he won't be much of a fantasy option outside of deep superflex leagues after struggling by going 20-for-34 for 157 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions against a suspect Bengals defense last weekend. At best, DTR is a low-end QB2 option for those desperate in two-QB formats.

Cleveland Browns wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (knee, shin) and Cedric Tillman (concussion) were both limited during practice on Wednesday. Jeudy has not yet missed a game this season, catching 72 passes for 1,072 yards and four touchdowns while ranking as the overall WR12 in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, Tillman was coming on strong before suffering a serious head injury. The second-year receiver has missed four consecutive games and could be in danger of missing a fifth. Ever since Amari Cooper was traded, Tillman had been averaging 5.2 catches, 66 yards, and 0.6 touchdowns per game. While both pass-catchers have garnered significant fantasy appeal at points throughout this season, their intrigue has dwindled ahead of Week 17. The primary reason for their reduced value is Cleveland's recent decision to bench Jameis Winston for Dorian Thompson-Robinson, shifting from an offense centered around launching the football and making risky throws to implementing a more composed, run-oriented scheme. Jeudy had one of his worst games of the season in Thompson-Robinson's first start last week, catching just two passes for 20 yards. As the Browns' offense continues to stall and its quarterback lacks dependability, Cleveland's receivers may continue to struggle. Both Jeudy and Tillman have decent upside, but their extremely low floors drop them to the bottom of the WR3/FLEX tier in most leagues.