Fantasy Outlook for the New-look Cleveland Browns: Nick Chubb, Jerry Jeudy, David Njoku and More

Few teams go through offensive makeovers as quickly as the Cleveland Browns have since the end of Week 6. It started last Tuesday, when the team traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. It was a sensible move, as the team was 1-5, and Cooper’s contract expires at the end of the season.

Though they were losing a WR1, the Browns found out they’d be getting back star running back Nick Chubb after more than a year out with a nasty knee injury. The skill positions were in flux, but quarterback Deshaun Watson was still in the starting lineup despite major struggles.

Well, Watson suffered a probable torn Achilles on Sunday, which will keep him out for the rest of 2024 and possibly affect the start of next season. There are plenty of conversations for Cleveland about their future, but we’re smack in the middle of a season, meaning that things are changing while in motion, like a young MJ.

That means a new fantasy landscape in Cleveland. Fantasy owners must adapt just the same, making it a good time to take stock of the Browns’ offense. Let’s run through each fantasy position to see who is in line for opportunities and possible fantasy value after a week of shifting.

Quarterback

Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Cleveland surprisingly promoted Thompson-Robinson to the backup role before the Week 7 game against the Bengals, pushing Winston to the emergency QB3 role. It wouldn’t have meant a lot most weeks, but DTR was thrust into the action when Watson went down, eventually suffering his own injury that required Winston to finish the day.

Winston will likely get the call moving forward, but Thompson-Robinson has the higher upside as a young prospect. The Browns are 1-6; they’re not going to the playoffs. As tough as it is to give up on a season before it’s half over, Cleveland would probably be best served by playing their young players and making more moves before the trade deadline.

Neither Winston nor DTR will be a high-level fantasy player, but Thompson-Robinson’s running ability would likely make him a streamer some weeks. The starting QB’s fantasy impact will be felt most through their skill players.

Running Back

Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr.

The latter two guys got a few chances while Chubb (and Ford at times) was out, but the Browns wasted no time installing the lead back to his role atop the rotation in his first game. Chubb received 11 carries while Strong got three and Foreman two (Ford missed this game).

That will likely be the distribution every game that Chubb is healthy, as none of the other three can match his top form. There’s always a chance for either re-injury or complications as he continues his return, but Chubb is the only guy who can be seen as a real fantasy option.

His first day back was inefficient: Chubb turned his 11 carries into just 22 yards. Part of that was the carries he got near the goal line, which lowered his average but helped him score a touchdown. It’s likely Chubb won’t look like himself for at least a few weeks (or until next year), so results like that might be common, especially with the quarterback uncertainty.

I’m treating Chubb like a flex-level player right now with star upside that’s unlikely to be reached in 2024. The matchups might dictate Chubb’s fantasy value each week, but his return to the RB1 role puts him on the fantasy radar.

Wide Receiver

Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Elijah Moore

It’s hard to trust any receiver here, and that included Cooper. Jeudy seemed like a nifty trade acquisition during the offseason, but he has been unimpactful for the most part, averaging about three catches and 35 yards per game with just one touchdown.

It’s the same story for Moore, just over a longer time span: Moore came over from the Jets before the 2023 season and has averaged around three catches and 32 yards over 23 games.

Tillman is the most exciting option by default. He’s the youngest (barely) and biggest player among the three, though Tillman is also the least accomplished. His rookie season was anonymous (less than 20 yards per game), and Week 7 was Tillman's first game this year with more than one catch, three targets, or four yards.

Tillman caught eight passes for 81 yards on Sunday; Moore had six for 41 and Jeudy just one for 18. The two more veteran receivers will probably have better floors, but Tillman has upside as a big target who will probably get an extended look the rest of the way.

No Cleveland receiver is more than a WR3/4/flex player to consider depending on the matchup. You’re not missing much by skipping the Cleveland pass catchers.

Tight End

David Njoku

Njoku will keep doing his thing. I talked about the wide receivers likely staying anonymous, but tight end is a little different because of the lack of fantasy production compared to WR. That doesn’t mean Njoku is a great option, though.

“His thing” means that Njoku is a fantasy starter some weeks and falls below that mark other times. There’s been buzz around him taking the next step for years, but it seems as if Njoku is the player he’s going to be. There’s nothing wrong with that, as he’s making a ton of money doing it, but there’s a ceiling on his fantasy value.

Week 7 was a big one for Njoku, as he caught 10 of 14 targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. He hasn’t caught more than five passes or gained more than 44 yards in any other game, and this was his first score; Njoku also missed three games earlier in the year.

Jordan Akins had four receptions for 42 yards, the most he’s had in either category since 2022. He’s not going to be a fantasy factor. It’s Njoku or bust at fantasy TE in Cleveland.

I wasn’t super high on Njoku entering the season, and nothing has changed. He’s fine, but there will be inconsistent production.