To say the Cleveland Browns offense has been a disappointment this season would be a bit of an understatement. The streak of failing to score 20 points in a game continued this week after another disappointing loss to the Washington Commanders on the road. Of course, this directly affects the fantasy relevance of the players in brown and orange, with only a few being relevant this season.
Cleveland only has three players averaging double-digit points this season, with one being Deshaun Watson, averaging a disappointing output for a quarterback at 12.6 points per game. Running back Jerome Ford has been the Browns' most consistent player this year, mainly because of his ability as a pass catcher to score extra points in PPR leagues, averaging 11.9 points per game as a good flex option.
Last week’s leading scorer for the Browns was tight end Jordan Akins, who barely broke into double-digit points with 11.2. Akins isn’t restorable; this is his first game above seven points this year. He only had a good day because of the late touchdown grab; he hasn’t broken 30 yards receiving in any game this year. Amari Cooper was the only other solid fantasy scorer last week with 10 points against Washington.
On Wednesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that there was no thought that Deshaun Watson would be benched as the team’s starting quarterback. Through five games, Watson hasn’t thrown for 200 yards in any game, with a season-low 125 against Washington limiting his pass-catcher fantasy scoring abilities due to his struggles. Cleveland is facing another defense that has struggled to stop the opposing pass attack, so the matchup could provide a chance to finally get something working for an offense that has lacked an identity and consistency.
Start 'Em: Jerome Ford, RB
The workload and usage for the pair of Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman have been all over the place, changing drastically week to week as the team tries to find a spark offensively. But even though his touches have changed week to week, his upside as a pass catcher and his big play ability have made Ford a great flex option in fantasy week to week, especially if you need to plug someone in during bye weeks. Ford's lowest output of the season was in week two, with 7.4 points, and he has another great matchup against the Eagles this week, who have given up over five yards per carry, the fifth worst in the NFL.
Sit 'Em: David Njoku, TE
Star tight end David Njoku returned from his ankle injury last week before suffering a knee injury, exiting the game with just one catch. It is unknown if he will be available this week, but if he is, it will likely be on a limited basis. A healthy Njoku could really help spark the struggling offense, but right now, he is struggling to stay on the field. Njoku is a tough player and will fight through the pain to play if he can, but he should remain on your fantasy bench for now.
Start 'Em: Jerry Jeudy, WR
If there has been one pass catcher who consistently finds fantasy success despite the offensive struggles, it is first-year Brown Jerry Jeudy. With the chemistry off between Watson and Amari Cooper, the on-field relationship between Jeudy and his quarterback has been solid to start the season. The Eagles have allowed the fifth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers with their struggling secondary to start the season. I would still only start him as a flex option if you have an injury or a player on bye because of how inconsistent the Browns offense has been overall.
Sit 'Em: Deshaun Watson, QB
Last week, I put Watson down as one of the players to start because of his rushing ability, giving him enough production to be a decent bye-week replacement player. He then went out and had his worst fantasy performance of the year, failing to score in double digits. Watson has a favorable matchup against the Eagles secondary, but he went up against the defense that allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers last week, resulting in a horrible game; keep him on your bench.