Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (hamstring) is now unlikely to play in Week 15 on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said that if Njoku cannot play, the Browns will go with a committee approach at tight end. Njoku suffered a hamstring injury in the Week 14 loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers and was unable to practice on Wednesday. He'll likely miss another practice on Thursday, and fantasy managers should move him to their bench and hope he can return for Week 16 against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers that made the playoffs have to be pretty bummed, as Njoku has caught 16 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Fantasy managers will want to avoid Cleveland's TE committee this week. Instead, receivers Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore will be more exciting lineup options.UPDATE: Njoku missed a second straight practice on Thursday.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday that kicker Dustin Hopkins will kick for the team this weekend in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Hopkins struggling mightily for most of the year, the Browns signed Riley Patterson to their practice squad this week. "Dustin's our kicker but we'll work through it this week," Stefanski said. The 34-year-old veteran will start this Sunday, but if he struggles again, the Browns could decide to make a change going into Week 16 against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. Hopkins missed two field goals in last week's loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers and has made just 16 of his 25 field-goal attempts this year. Especially in a tough matchup against the Chiefs' stingy defense, fantasy managers should be avoiding Hopkins as their kicker in Week 15.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (hamstring) will not take part in the first practice of the week on Wednesday as the team prepares to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. DNPs are not a good sign to start the week, but Njoku is considered day-to-day and has two more days to get back on the practice field. However, fantasy managers need to be prepared to go in another direction if the 28-year-old is unable to practice the next couple days and is ruled out for the weekend. He's been amazing for his fantasy managers in recent weeks with receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) sidelined, catching 16 passes for 94 yards on 30 targets while finding the end zone twice in the last two games. If Njoku is able to play, he should be a locked-in TE1 against KC. If he doesn't practice the rest of the week and is ruled out, Jordan Akins would be in line for a bigger role on Sunday.UPDATE: Njoku is in jeopardy of missing Week 15.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) is expected to return to the practice field on Wednesday, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Tillman was still in the league's concussion protocol as of Monday, but it appears the 24-year-old second-year wideout is making some progress with a head injury that he suffered in the Week 12 upset win over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. He hasn't played since and will need to be cleared by an independent neurologist later this week if he's going to be active this Sunday for a showdown in Philadelphia against the Eagles. In Tillman's absence the last few weeks, receivers Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore have been much more involved and had several big games, as has tight end David Njoku. A Tillman return would lower their ceilings somewhat, while Tillman would be a shaky WR4/flex for fantasy managers in the first round of the playoffs.

Despite being officially eliminated from playoff contention with their Week 14 loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns are sticking with Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Winston will start this coming Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15, where he'll be a QB2 in superflex leagues against a tough KC defense. While Winston has helped upset the division-rival Baltimore Ravens and Steelers after taking over for Deshaun Watson (Achilles) in Week 8, he's also thrown a league-high nine interceptions since. The Browns are 2-4 with Winston as the starter. Dorian Thompson-Robinson started three games as a rookie in 2023. Fantasy-wise, Winston has given desperate fantasy managers in superflex leagues more upside at the position than Watson did before his Achilles tear.