Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (rest/knee/illness) missed practice on Wednesday but got in limited sessions on Thursday and Friday. The star tight end is listed without an injury designation heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns already have the No. 5 seed in the AFC locked up and are planning to rest several starters in a meaningless game against Cincinnati. Njoku has not been ruled out of action as of Saturday morning but there is a strong chance he is not active in Week 18 as Cleveland looks toward the first round of the playoffs next week. If Njoku ultimately doesn't play, Harrison Bryant would see starter's snaps and settle in as a TE2 for the final week of the regular season. Stay tuned.

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) has officially been ruled out for the Week 18 regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. It will be the second straight missed game for the 33-year-old booter. Cleveland will be hoping Hopkins will be ready to roll for the wild-card round of the postseason next week. When healthy, Hopkins has been a fantasy relevant kicker this year, especially since quarterback Joe Flacco arrived and jumpstarted this offense. In 15 games in his first year with the Browns, Hopkins has gone 33-for-36 on field-goal attempts and 24-for-26 on extra points. With Hopkins being held out again this weekend, Riley Patterson will do the kicking for Cleveland and should be avoided in fantasy lineups with the Browns resting some of their key starters, including Flacco.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (ankle) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session and doesn't carry an injury designation into the Week 18 regular season finale on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. Despite Pickett looking healthy, the Steelers will stick with Mason Rudolph in a must-win game in Week 18. Rudolph has led this team to a 2-0 record with 564 yards and two touchdowns in his two starts. Pickett struggled throughout most of the season before going down with an ankle injury that required surgery. It's not shocking to see head coach Mike Tomlin sticking with the hot hand in Rudolph. The good news is that Pickett doesn't appear to be injured anymore, but he's going to have to win back the starting job in 2024.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (rest) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice session. Njoku sat out of Wednesday's practice before returning on Thursday, but fantasy managers shouldn't be worried. It sounds like the Browns are being cautious here and resting Njoku. The big tight end is dealing with multiple issues and the team wants to keep him fresh. The expectation is that Njoku will be a full-go for this weekend's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Njoku has stepped it up this season, but he has looked even better since Joe Flacco took over under center. DFS players should certainly take a look at Njoku as a possible option for this weekend's slate.

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice on Thursday. Hopkins was forced to sit out on a short week in last Thursday night's win over the New York Jets and doesn't appear close to returning for a meaningless Week 18 regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. The most likely scenario is that the Browns will rest the 33-year-old kicker and any other injured players like receiver Amari Cooper (heel) as they rest up for the wild-card round of the playoffs next week. Cleveland is already locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC, so Hopkins is likely to miss a second straight game this weekend. If that's the case, Riley Patterson will do the kicking for the Browns in Week 18. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a kicker.