Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku finished the regular season on a high note as he went for at least 91 receiving yards in three of his final four games while catching four touchdowns over that span. He will look to keep it going in the first round of the NFL playoffs against the Houston Texans on Saturday. Njoku caught six passes for 44 yards and a touchdown back when these two teams met in Week 16 and will be a primary piece in the Cleveland passing attack on Saturday. Houston struggled against tight ends in the regular season as they allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Njoku is in play as the top overall fantasy tight end for DFS contests this weekend.

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford should be well-rested after he handled just five touches in a Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The second-year running back will now head on the road to take on the Houston Texans in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Ford draws a difficult matchup this weekend as the Texans allowed just the 19th-most fantasy points per game to running backs in the regular season. That being said, Ford has been active in Cleveland's passing game, so he should be a decent fantasy options in full PPR sites. Ford is on the board as a top-12 fantasy running back in DFS this weekend.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (calf) practiced fully all week despite being listed on the team's injury report with a calf issue. Flacco will look to continue his late-season success heading into a Saturday matchup against the Houston Texans in the first round of the NFL playoffs. These two teams met back in Week 16, with Flacco shredding Houston's pass defense for 368 yards and three touchdowns. In the regular season, the Texans were quite generous to quarterbacks, allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Flacco is a solid DFS choice this weekend for fantasy gamers looking to save a bit of money at the quarterback position for their lineups.

Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. (back) has been listed as questionable for Saturday's wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans. Strong injured his back in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals and now may not be available for the first playoff game this weekend. If the 25-year-old second-year back does not suit up in Houston, receiver James Proche II will most likely handle return duties on special teams. Strong hasn't really been a fantasy asset in 2023 in his first season in Cleveland while serving as the No. 3 back behind Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt. He's seen 63 rushing attempts on the year for 291 yards and one touchdown in 17 games.

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) has officially been ruled out for Saturday's wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans after missing practice all week. Hopkins will miss his third straight game due to his hamstring injury. Riley Patterson, who has served as Cleveland's kicker the last two games with Hopkins out, will likely be elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster for Saturday's playoff contest. The 24-year-old was the Detroit Lions' primary kicker for 13 games this year before getting cut and latching on with the Browns. In 15 total games between both teams this year, he's gone 16-for-18 on field-goal tries and has miss three of his 44 extra-point attempts. Fantasy managers should be looking for better options at the position on wild-card weekend.