The NFL Draft has come and gone, free agency has slowed to a crawl, and OTA’s and mandatory minicamps have wrapped. With the lull in activity, it’s the perfect time to step back, breathe, and take stock of where teams stand in terms of fantasy value. There’s still plenty to learn for fantasy managers. Whether you’re gearing up for a Dynasty rookie draft or just can’t wait until training camps open, Belly Up Fantasy Sports has you covered. Let’s take a look at the 2022 Cleveland Browns, position-by-position.

Note: All 2021 fantasy point totals and rankings are PPR unless otherwise noted.

2022 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview: Quarterback

A quick, isolated look at the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback depth chart reveals perhaps the best situation the team has been in since their reinstatement to the league in 1999. They have a top-10 option in Deshaun Watson – by far the most talented man they’ve had under center. Backup Jacoby Brissett is a capable second option with a fair history of starting experience. Brissett, while nowhere near on the same plane as Watson, is nonetheless capable of running a similar offense. They’re surrounded by weapons and playing behind one of the league’s best offensive lines. What’s not to love?

On second thought, don’t answer that.

Normally, a team with a quarterback history as sordid as the Browns would be overjoyed to acquire a player of Watson’s caliber. He’s a franchise-changing talent who could well lead the team for the next decade. But so far, the acquisition of Watson has been nothing if not a headache for the Browns and their fans. His legal and social troubles have brought the team a ton of scrutiny, and deservedly so. The fanbase is divided after watching the team trade three first-round picks, a third-rounder, and change to Houston. Immediately signing Watson to the largest (sketchiest?) guaranteed contract in history in light of everything surrounding him didn’t help. The team was subsequently forced to settle for pennies-on-the-dollar for former top-overall pick Baker Mayfield. Now the Browns sit in limbo awaiting news of a possible suspension for Watson under the league’s conduct policy. Oof.

Quarterback Bottom Line

I’m not going to insult your intelligence here. Obviously, Watson’s a lock-down fantasy starter in all formats whenever he gets to take the field. I know he’s had time off and drama and everything else. I get it if you don’t want him because of the off-field… situation? (Horror? Dumpster-fire?) But don’t overthink it. By all means, preserve your own integrity, but he’s going to score points. The discussion here needs to be about Mr. Brissett.

Brissett started for the Colts in 2017 and 2019 as they tried to navigate Andrew Luck‘s health problems. In those two years, he finished as fantasy QB20 and QB23. His best wideouts in those years were a declining T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal. Jack Doyle was in what would qualify as his heyday, finishing as TE8 and TE15. Ageless wonder Frank Gore, Marlon Mack, and Nyheim Hines were his backfield mates.

Depending on the Watson suspension news, Brissett could be holding down the fort for anywhere from six weeks to the entire season. He’s a career 60 percent passer with a better than two-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio. This Browns roster will be the most talented he’s played with. With a good line, good receiving tight ends, a star wideout in Amari Cooper with a talented (if raw) supporting receiver cast, and one of the premier receiving backs in football in the person of Kareem Hunt, Brissett should be able to capitalize on any opportunity he’s given. You’re not taking him as a number one redraft starter, but as a second or third QB in superflex/2QB formats, his rushing floor and favorable schedule make him not just roster-able, but playable. He’s definitely a viable option as a Watson insurance policy if you find yourself in a bind Dynasty- or keeper-wise.

2022 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview: Running Back

It’s been widely known for some time now that Cleveland has one of the deepest, most talented young rosters in the NFL. Perhaps nowhere is that better reflected than in the embarrassment of riches that is the Browns’ running back room. The Browns’ four-deep roster is as strong as any position group in the league on either side of the ball. Three-time Pro Bowl honoree Nick Chubb leads a group that also includes 2017 rushing leader and Offensive Rookie of the Year Kareem Hunt. Not to be forgotten, in three games as the primary back last season, third-stringer D’Ernest Johnson carried 66 times and caught 10 of 11 targets for 458 total yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Oh, yeah… Demetric Felton was eighth in the league in punt return yardage and led the Browns’ running backs in yards, touchdowns, and catch percentage – from the bottom of the depth chart. And 2022 draftee Jerome Ford was seventh in the FBS with 19 touchdowns last season.

Running Back Bottom Line

The Browns’ top three running backs are all 26 years old. While that’s not young by running back standards, they’re all still very productive running backs. Johnson is arguably a “young” 26, thanks to the low number of snaps he’s played in his career. Chubb and Hunt are both startable fantasy options regardless of scoring format. Chubb carries more value in standard scoring but is still a top-10 PPR back thanks to sheer volume. Hunt’s value increases in PPR formats and skyrockets to league-winner heights should Chubb miss time with injuries. If both are sidelined for whatever reason, Johnson looks more than capable of carrying the load. In that scenario, Johnson could be a great match-up-based play in daily formats and shouldn’t bust your budget.

In Dynasty leagues, you may want to monitor Chubb and Hunt closely. They’re nearing the running back cliff, age-wise. You should be able to move either of them for good value at this point. It’s better to move on a year early than a year late (take it from former Browns coach Bill Belichick.) Johnson and Felton are intriguing Dynasty adds, with Johnson also worth a late flier in redraft. Ford warrants a stash-and-see late in rookie drafts. Early in the season, Cleveland may be forced to lean on the run game even more than usual (pending the Watson outcome.) In that case, the 2022 Cleveland Browns backfield might be even more of a fantasy goldmine. Dig in.

2022 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview: Wide Receiver

The Browns’ wide receiver room has undergone a major makeover since Week 1 of 2021. The steady presence of team leader Jarvis Landry and the disruptive presence of square peg Odell Beckham are no longer… present. Neither is longtime fan favorite Hollywood Higgins. Donovan Peoples-Jones gets a promotion to WR2 behind new addition Amari Cooper. Second-year speedster Anthony Schwartz looks to bounce back from an inconsistent and injury-marred rookie season. 2022 draft picks David Bell and Michael Woods join the fun, hoping to (someday) catch passes from Watson. All told, the Browns’ receivers offer more questions than answers at this point. You may have heard, but there are some questions about Cleveland’s quarterback situation this season. The answers to those questions will inform the answers to the questions surrounding the Browns’ wide receivers. Any questions?

Cleveland hasn’t exactly been a breeding ground for fantasy wide receiver glory. Unfortunately, that doesn’t look to change this upcoming season (at least in the early going.) If Watson is suspended, Brissett does represent a downgrade factor for the Browns’ receiving corps. But not a crippling one. As mentioned, Brissett is a steady, efficient veteran. Cleveland faces a very favorable strength of schedule from a passing standpoint. Brissett will not wring every possible fantasy point from this receiving group, but he’s not going to waste a ton, either.

Wide Receiver Bottom Line

Cooper is the star here, with WR1 ability in all formats. You can get him in the sixth round as WR25 overall right now. If you can secure his services as your WR2 or WR3, you’ll be sitting pretty. Alternatively, concentrate on other positions early and snag him as a low-risk bet for your top receiver. Peoples-Jones is currently WR79 but rising slowly. Last season’s overall WR63 needs to improve on his efficiency (he only caught 58.6 percent of his targets last season.) But he should return at least top-40 value with an increase in targets and improved quarterback play. Whenever Watson plays, DPJ is a sleeper candidate.

Schwartz is reportedly well-liked by the Cleveland coaching staff, but the best ability is availability. He’ll need to demonstrate his blazing speed on the field more than the exercise bike this year to avoid falling off the radar. His speed is a rare commodity on this receiving roster, but it’s useless if you’re not able to play. Rookie Bell out of Purdue has some promise as a possession receiver and should be taken in Dynasty rookie drafts. Woods faces an uphill battle to make the roster as a smallish receiver without elite speed. Only look for him at the tail-end of deep rookie drafts, if that. Miami’s Erik Ezukanma or Kansas City’s Justyn Ross may be available around the same value with higher upside potential.

2022 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview: Tight End

The Austin Hooper experiment is over in Cleveland. The new Titans tight end could only manage a pair of TE20-something seasons after back-to-back TE6 seasons in Atlanta. With that, David Njoku is once again ascendant as the top tight end in the Browns’ attack. After a promising TE9 overall finish in 2018, the 29th overall pick in 2017 saw his development delayed by injury and Hooper’s arrival. After some unpleasantness around a trade request, Njoku finally finds himself as the undisputed starter once again, this time for a coach who loves him some tight end. Platonically.

Tight End Bottom Line

Beyond Njoku, there’s not much to talk about here. 2019 Mackey Award winner Harrison Bryant will hold down the number two spot. Behind them, a veritable legion of car salesmen and house painters will vie for roster spots. Given coach Kevin Stefanski’s history of tight end usage, it’s more than a bit surprising the Browns didn’t add more here this offseason. Njoku is a legitimate threat and could be a much bigger fantasy asset than his current ADP (TE26) would suggest. If you want to punt on the position or miss out on one of the big guns, Njoku could return nice value at that price (remember, Brissett was the quarterback for Jack Doyle‘s TE8 finish in 2017.) Bryant has talent but needs opportunities to be fantasy relevant. He’s only 24, so roster him in Dynasty. The talent is there, even if the fantasy points won’t be (yet.)

2022 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview: Peripherals

Cleveland’s defense looks to be a draftable fantasy starter. The Browns will surely be a top streaming/match-up-based play with a favorable strength of schedule. Re-signing Anthony Walker and Jadeveon Clowney keeps the front seven solid, but not spectacular. They lack talent in the interior defensive line but have allocated resources there in the form of free agent signee Taven Bryan and recent fourth-round draftees Tommy Togiai (2021) and Perrion Winfrey (2022). The Browns had a bit of an outsized sack total for their relatively low-pressure percentage on the pass rush last season. That pressure could be increased if the Browns would blitz more, instead of counting on Myles Garrett and Clowney to provide all the pressure. The secondary is one of the most talented in the league but needs to generate more than last season’s 13 interceptions. New returner Jakeem Grant should provide a spark on special teams.

2022 fourth-round pick Cade York will be the kicker, replacing the inefficient and underwhelming Chase McLaughlin. York has a big leg and kicked for a premier program at LSU. He has all the physical tools to succeed at the pro level. Kicker was an area of need for the Browns this offseason, and spending fourth-round capital certainly speaks to the importance they’re placing on the position. He won’t be draftable, but warrants following to see if he can live up to the hype. York should at worst be just fine as a bye-week fill-in or streaming option.

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