Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) will put the finishing touches on a career year in a Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Jeudy turned in a solid effort last week, catching 12 passes for 94 yards in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. Cleveland will turn to their fourth starting quarterback of the season as Bailey Zappe will make his first start for the team after Kevin Stefanski chose to tab him as his starter over Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The quarterback change will actually be a slight upgrade for Jeudy as Thompson-Robinson has not shown much as an NFL passer across his two seasons. The Baltimore defense has been beatable through the air this season, making Jeudy a low-end WR2 in fantasy for Week 18.

Cleveland Browns running back D'Onta Foreman led the team in rushing in a Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. With both Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) ruled out for a Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, Foreman is expected to operate as Cleveland's lead back in the season finale. The Ravens have been tough on running backs this season, allowing just the 25th-most fantasy points per game to the position. They also have something to play for as they can lock up the AFC North and a first-round home game with a win over the Browns. Foreman should see decent volume but his ceiling is capped in a tough matchup, making him a mid-range RB3 for fantasy this weekend.

According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, the Cleveland Browns are giving the starting nod to quarterback Bailey Zappe in the final game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon. It was reported earlier that both Zappe and Dorian Thompson-Robinson may get an opportunity to play in this game but it appears that Zappe will start. While Thompson-Robinson may see a few snaps, fantasy managers should expect Zappe to see the majority. Zappe has yet to take the field as a Cleveland Brown after spending the first two seasons of his career with the New England Patriots. Last season, across ten games, Zappe threw for 1,272 yards with a 6:9 TD:INT ratio. Zappe should be viewed as low-end QB2 in Superflex formats given his unstable play in the past despite facing a favorable Baltimore Ravens defense.

Cleveland Browns running backs Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) have both been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Ford sprained his ankle in the Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins and will be unavailable to play in the final game of the season. With Nick Chubb (foot) getting a late start in 2024 while recovering from a gruesome knee injury he suffered in 2023, Ford opened 2024 as Cleveland's RB1 and will finish the year as their leading rusher with 104 rushing attempts for 565 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and a team-high-tying three rushing touchdowns. With both Ford and Strong out this weekend, D'Onta Foreman will be in play as a low-upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers as the team's lead back. John Kelly should serve as his backup.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) missed practice all week and has officially been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Saturday against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Njoku will end up missing three of the final four games of the 2024 season and finish with 64 receptions for 505 yards and five touchdowns in 11 starts after making his first Pro Bowl in 2023. While Njoku's numbers were a disappointment after what he did last year, his numbers were still good enough to make him a weekly TE1 in fantasy despite Cleveland's ongoing struggles at the quarterback position. The 28-year-old should remain in the TE1 picture in fantasy heading into next year despite questions about whether Deshaun Watson (Achilles) will even be the starter under center. Jordan Akins will have a bigger role yet again in Week 18 and will be a TE2 sleeper in DFS lineups.