2021 Fantasy Preview – Cleveland Browns

Studs

• Nick Chubb: Despite missing 4.5 games in 2020, Chubb still finished as the RB11 in PPR leagues. He shows no signs of slowing down and in a run-first offense, managers can continue to rely on him to be a consistent RB1 option. Of course, he is not involved in the passing game with Hunt’s presence and that limits his overall upside to be a top 5 RB (barring a crazy touchdown season). Nevertheless, he is a great option for the 2021 season and has proven to be incredibly consistent.

Role Players

• Baker Mayfield: If Mayfield can continue his performance at the end of last season, he can be a great contributor to fantasy teams. He was performing at a top 10 QB level from weeks 11-16. If he can consistently show the top 10 QB performances throughout the 2021 season, he will be more than valuable to redraft and dynasty rosters. If that happens, he could be making a case to be on the “Studs” list this time next year.
• Odell Beckham Jr.: OBJ was once considered the top non-QB pick in dynasty startups. Since 2017 he has been up and down and has struggled to stay healthy. We all know his potential, and he is still at an age that could be considered his prime (28). The upside is there for OBJ to thrive, but until he proves it once again, he is just a role player for fantasy teams that will hopefully provide a WR2 floor when healthy.
• Kareem Hunt: Even with Nick Chubb being the RB1 in Cleveland’s backfield, Hunt has consistently provided at least RB2 value. He honestly thrives when Chubb is also on the field, still posting an RB10 yearly finish with Chubb only missing 4.5 games. These two talented backs should continue to succeed in this run-first offense.
• Austin Hooper: In the most shallow position in fantasy leagues, a consistent TE is always valuable. Hooper may not be able to post the production that he did in his last 2 years in Atlanta, but he could still provide mid-tier TE1 numbers as long as he can stay healthy.

Keep an eye on

• Jarvis Landry: Was last year potentially the start of the end of the incredible consistency that we’ve seen from Landry over the past few years? In the 5 previous years, his worst finish was WR18, generally finishing as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2. But in 2020, he posted a WR33 finish, despite only missing one game. He saw career lows in Targets, Receptions, and Touchdowns as well as the second-lowest mark in yardage since his rookie year. It’s a good idea to monitor this situation before putting all your trust in Landry again.
• David Njoku:  Njoku has been in the league for 4 years now and saw two potential replacements brought in by the Browns’ organization last season. He was an athletic TE that never lived up to the hype around him with only one fantasy usable season in 2018. That being said, it generally takes TEs longer to acclimate to the NFL and we could see Njoku in a new situation sooner rather than later. Someone to keep an eye on.

Dynasty Stashes

• Harrison Bryant: Bryant flashed in his minimal opportunity last season and the coaching staff seemed confident giving him said opportunity as a rookie. He looks to be the potential replacement for Austin Hooper in a Stefanski offense that likes to feature the TE position (think Kyle Rudolph for the Vikings). Hooper has an out in his contract following the 2022 season, and if he continues to be lackluster while Bryant improves we could see a switch sooner. Bryant could prove to be a fruitful investment if you can stash him for a bit longer in dynasty leagues. 
• Donovan Peoples-Jones: The Michigan product, Donovan Peoples-Jones showed some deep play potential during his rookie campaign in 2020, averaging over 20 yards per catch. With no offseason, it is incredibly impressive these rookies were able to produce at all and grasp the playbook in such a limited time. We might be seeing the end of Landry’s consistency as well as coming up on the end of the OBJ experiment in Cleveland. Peoples-Jones could very well be the next man up in the system and could provide fantasy managers with a useful fantasy player in the next few years.