Fantasy Football News

Browns HC Todd Monken has named QB Deshaun Watson his Week 1 starter over Shedeur Sanders.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders comfortably out-played QB Deshaun Watson in Saturday's preseason game vs. the Bills. Sanders got the start and went 9-of-11 for 74 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT across four possessions. He also took 1 sack on his 13 dropbacks. It was far from a flawless performance, but it was a lot better than QB Deshaun Watson's showing. He mustered just 36 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT on 5-of-12 passing. The INT came on a bad throw and bad decision into traffic.

In what is one of the final remaining starting quarterback battles in the league, Browns' Deshaun Watson looked impressive in their joint practice with the Bills. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN shared a video of Watson hitting KC Concepcion in the middle of the field for a roughly 30-yard gain.

Browns HC Todd Monken said he wants to get the ball to WR KC Concepcion "as often as we can." We got a glimpse of Cleveland's plans for the rookie in the preseason opener, when Concepcion tallied 4 targets and 1 carry on 25 offensive snaps. He also returned a punt for 31 yards.

Per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, Browns RB Dylan Sampson was “heavily involved in the pass game in the just-completed week of camp.” Jackson still calls Quinshon Judkins the “clear lead back,” as expected, but adds that Sampson “seems set for a pass-game role.”

Browns WR Denzel Boston will start working with the first-team offense this week, HC Todd Monken said. Boston has had a strong start to camp by all accounts and is a good bet to open the season as one of Cleveland's top three WRs.

After an offseason that didn’t see any newcomers to challenge for the top quarterback spot, we’re nine days into Browns training camp and there isn’t a clear lead for it. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports that there is “Zero apparent separation in the ongoing quarterback battle” between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.

Cleveland's QB competition has been viewed as Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders throughout the offseason, which makes obvious sense. Sanders finished last year as the team's starter, and Watson's still making way too much money to not at least get consideration. But Dillon Gabriel has gained recent praise from HC Todd Monken and should see expanded practice reps.

KC Concepcion is back to making plays in training camp just a day after a shoulder injury scare. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reported that both Concepcion and Boston are off to “strong starts” in a paragraph that included “It feels like Jerry Jeudy’s time as the de facto No. 1 wide receiver is coming to an end…”.

The Athletic’s Zac Jackson believes Browns QB Shedeur Sanders “might be taking the lead” over Deshaun Watson in the competition for the starting job. Sanders and Deshaun Watson have taken turns running the first-team offense, but Jackson suggested that the second-year QB has outplayed Watson so far.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that Browns rookie WR KC Concepcion "did not suffer anything serious" when he went down hard on his right shoulder at practice Monday. "The team is expecting him to be fine," Schultz added.

Browns TE Harold Fannin revealed that he had surgery this offseason to address the groin injury he suffered in Week 17 last year. Fannin spent about two months rehabbing and did little in spring workouts, but he was cleared a couple of weeks ago and is now a full participant in training camp.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that the Browns believe rookie WR Denzel Boston can make a similar impact to fellow rookie K.C. Concepcion. Boston was drafted 39th overall, only 15 picks after Concepcion. “Whereas Concepcion is the explosive, run-after-catch type, Boston is the big-bodied, outside-the-numbers genre,” Breer writes. “He’s already earned the trust of the team’s three quarterbacks, runs better than you’d expect of a guy his size and, coming out of the same college offense Tetairoa McMillan did a year ago, has drawn internal comparisons to the young Panthers star.”

Let’s just let ESPN Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi deliver the primary info: “The Browns drafted wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in April, but no Cleveland wideout was targeted more than [Isaiah Bond] this spring.” That’s especially worth noting for two reasons:

1. Cleveland drafted Concepcion in the first round and Boston in the second. So the team clearly not only likes them but should be incentivized to develop them quickly into key contributors.
2. Although Bond arrived as an undrafted free agent, he’s not your typical UDFA.

Our prospect guru Shane Hallam deemed Bond a Round 4-5 prospect who “certainly could have been a Day 2 pick” with more college production. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler rated him a third-round talent and the No. 10 WR prospect in the class.

Bond went undrafted because he got arrested on sexual-assault allegations just two weeks before the draft. A Texas grand jury determined in August, though, that the case didn’t merit an indictment. Bond subsequently signed with Cleveland

Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. sat out team activities in May and June, including OTA practices and mandatory minicamp, after participating in voluntary minicamp in April. That absence stands out because Fannin injured his groin ahead of Week 17 against the Steelers, reinjured it during the game, and then missed Week 18. The Browns don’t need to explain the absence, but it would be worth watching if that groin injury is still limiting him.

Browns RB Quinshon Judkins (leg) appears to be operating at close to 100% at OTAs this week, according to multiple members of Cleveland's media. Judkins is five months removed from suffering a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle. He's clearly on track to be ready for Week 1, and it's looking like that injury won't be a concern for his 2026 fantasy value.

The Browns on Friday announced that LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has landed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. That means he's out for the entire 2026 season. JOK is still trying to work back from a neck injury he suffered in Week 8 of 2024. He also spent 2025 on the reserve/PUP list.

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports that QB Deshaun Watson appears to be moving toward being named the Browns' starter for the coming season.

The Cleveland Browns selected Arkansas QB Taylen Green in Round 6 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Green started for two years at Boise State before transferring to Arkansas for his final two seasons. He combined for 5,868 passing yards with 34 passing TDs and 20 INTs over those two years. Green also added 1,379 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs. Green’s game was bult on his elite athleticism. He ran a 4.36 40 with a 43.50” Vertical and 11’02” Broad Jump at 6’5 3/4 and 227 pounds. Among the 15 QBs invited to the NFL Combine, Green ranked 15th in 2025 adjusted completion percentage (71.3%), and sixth in aDOT (9.5). He ranked 12th in 2025 Big Time Throw rate (3.2%) and second in rushing yards per game when removing sacks (82.8). He is currently 23 years old.

The Cleveland Browns selected Cincinnati TE Joe Royer in Round 5 of the 2026 NFL Draft. A former four-star TE at Ohio State, he transferred back home to Cincinnati in 2024. Royer immediately won the starting job. Royer showed receiving promise with a 50-521-3 line in 2024. He took a slight step back in 2025 (29-416-4) with the Bearcats needing more blocking help. Royer spent 49.5% of his snaps at Cincinnati in the slot and 44.1% inline. He showed success in run and pass blocking and created mismatches against slot CBs and LBs. Among the 27 TEs invited to the NFL Combine, Royer ranked 21st in 2025 aDOT (6.2), and 13th in team market share of receiving yards (14.4%). He ranked 13th in 2025 receiving yards per team pass attempt (1.21) and 14th in receiving yards per route run (1.49). He is currently 24 years old.