Cleveland Browns Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said after Sunday's loss to the Ravens that he expects QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) back after the Week 5 bye. Stefanski said that Watson just didn't feel comfortable enough with that sore shoulder to play vs. Baltimore. That bye week is very well-timed. We'll keep tabs on Watson's status over the next couple of weeks.

Browns TE David Njoku hauled 6 of 7 targets for 46 yards in Week 4’s loss vs. the Ravens. WR Amari Cooper struggled to connect with rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and only caught one of his 6 targets for 16 yards. This was an ugly outing without Deshaun Watson under center. The team will look to regroup and get healthier before they play again in Week 6 after their bye week.

Browns RB Jerome Ford logged 9 carries for 26 yards in Week 4’s loss vs. the Ravens. It was a disappointing outing for the second-year back, but his 5 catches for 19 receiving yards helped boost him a little in half-PPR and full-PPR formats. Teammate Pierre Strong Jr. led the team with 49 rushing yards in the contest. The Browns’ offense struggled to get much going with rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center. They’re set to go on bye and will hopefully have starting QB Deshaun Watson back in Week 6.

Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled in his NFL debut, completing 19 of 36 passes for 121 yards and 3 INTs vs. the Ravens. The Browns and fantasy managers will hope that normal starter Deshaun Watson is able to make it back from his right shoulder injury after their bye week in Week 5.

Browns TE David Njoku (burns) is active for today’s game vs. the Ravens. Between the injuries to his arm and QB Deshaun Watson’s absence, Njoku is not a recommended fantasy play today.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is officially inactive for today’s game vs. the Ravens. That leaves fifth-round rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center for Cleveland. DTR was an inconsistent college passer but looked OK this preseason, completing 63.8% of his passes at 7.6 yards per attempt. We’d still consider him a significant downgrade from Watson, though, and expect a run-heavy game plan from the Browns today.

Multiple reports on Sunday morning have confirmed that Browns QB Deshaun Watson (right shoulder) will not play in Week 4 vs. the Ravens. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero tweeted that Watson's warm-ups "didn't go as hoped" in pregame. In Watson's absence, Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start at QB for the Browns. Thompson-Robinson appeared in a handful of preseason games this summer and performed well, showcasing his plus-rushing ability. We don't consider him a viable fantasy option outside of deep 2QB or superflex formats. Check out where he lands in our updated QB rankings.

Browns TE David Njoku is hoping to play against the Ravens today after suffering burns to his face and arm on Saturday, according to ESPN's Kimberly Martin. But the team first needs to see that Njoku can get his helmet on and play with it, Martin adds. We assume the injuries won't impact Njoku's play today if he's able to suit up. We'll get Cleveland's inactives around 11:30 am ET.

Browns RB Nick Chubb had surgery to repair his MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule on Friday, the team announced. But during that procedure, doctors discovered that Chubb will need a second surgery to repair his ACL. Chubb's estimated recovery timeline will have him back "at some point in the 2024 season," according to the team. It was previously reported that Chubb might not need the ACL repaired and that he'd be ready for the start of next season. It now sounds like there's a chance he misses the start of the 2024 campaign.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is expected to play vs. the Ravens on Sunday, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Watson dealt with right shoulder soreness throughout the week and reportedly barely threw in practice. That obviously adds downside to his Week 4 fantasy profile. Watson wasn't an exciting option to begin with in what figures to be a low-scoring affair against Baltimore.

The Browns announced Saturday that TE David Njoku is now questionable for Sunday's game against the Ravens after suffering burns to his face and an arm in a "household accident," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. We'll check Njoku's status ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. If he's inactive, TE Harrison Bryant would get a boost. TE Jordan Akins has also been involved, running 14 routes to Bryant's 31 through three games.

Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy (knee) got in a full practice on Friday and isn't listed on the final Week 4 injury report. He'll be ready to go for this weekend's plus matchup vs. the Bears.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Ravens. He was limited in practice all week with what's been reported as right shoulder soreness. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweets that Watson "barely threw this week," and HC Kevin Stefanski only said Friday that he's "hopeful" Watson will play on Sunday. We'll look for further updates on the situation, but Watson is not a recommended QB1 play this week. Rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson is Cleveland's backup.

Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy (knee) was limited in practice for the second straight day on Thursday. We haven't seen anything to suggest that Jeudy is in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Bears, but check back tomorrow for another update on his status.

Browns RB Jerome Ford racked up two TDs in Week 3. Entering a tough matchup with Tennessee, the second-year back mustered only 1.8 YPC on 10 attempts. But he cashed in with one goal line score – and added a downfield TD catch while split out wide. Ford will remain on the RB2/FLEX radar for a Week 4 date with Baltimore. Note that Kareem Hunt mixed in for 5 carries (3 targets) in his 2023 debut.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson passed for 289 yards and 2 TDs in a Week 3 win over Tennessee. Watson completed 81.8% of his passes on a day that found Cleveland accomplish little on the ground. He leaned on Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore, with the duo combining for a 51.5% target share. Watson hosts the Ravens for Week 4 before entering a Week 5 bye.

Initial tests on Browns RB Nick Chubb's left knee revealed only a torn MCL, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Chubb's ACL was "stretched," but doctors don't believe it's torn. They won't know for sure until they get a better look at the knee during surgery, which is expected to take place next week. If all of this is confirmed, Chubb is expected to need six to eight months of rehab. That'd have him back on the field sometime between this coming March and May. It's excellent news after what initially looked like a much more significant injury. Turning 28 in December, Chubb's dynasty value has still taken a big hit. But there's now at least a chance he provides at least another season or two of useful fantasy production.

Browns WR Amari Cooper (shoulder, groin) is not listed on the final Week 3 injury report. He didn’t practice on Wednesday but put in limited workouts on Thursday and Friday. Cooper should be ready for a full allotment of snaps in this weekend’s plus matchup vs. the Titans.

Browns WR Amari Cooper (shoulder, groin) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He should be ready for this weekend's game vs. the Titans, but we'll see how he's listed on the final injury report tomorrow.

Browns WR Amari Cooper (shoulder, groin) did not practice on Wednesday. He played through the groin issue on Monday night, but the shoulder is new. We'll track Cooper's status over the next few days but are tentatively expecting him to play vs. the Titans on Sunday.