Fantasy Football Rankings: Browns Players You Should Draft, Avoid This Season
Editor?s note: To help you prepare for your fantasy football draft, NESN.com will profile each NFL team and analyze which players are worth picking and which players aren?t worth your time. Today, we look at the Browns.
The Cleveland Browns made another coaching change in the offseason, and they also brought in yet another new quarterback.
Despite all that, the Browns still do have a few good fantasy football options, so let’s take a look at Cleveland players you should draft, avoid and take a chance on.
DRAFT-WORTHY
Gary Barnidge, Tight End: The most receiving yards Barnidge had in a season prior to 2015 was 242 as a rookie with the Carolina Panthers. He had 1,043 last season. You probably shouldn’t expect him to produce the same lofty stats in 2016, especially considering the Browns’ revolving door at quarterback. But he’s still a top-10 tight end in the league, likely making him a middle-of-the-draft pick. Make sure to keep an eye on his sports hernia, though.
Duke Johnson Jr., Running Back: Johnson and Isaiah Crowell form quite the running back duo, which is good news for fantasy owners. Johnson had 379 yards on the ground and 534 yards with two touchdowns through the air as a rookie in 2015, making him a candidate for running back depth around the eighth round.
Isaiah Crowell, Running Back: Crowell has been a highly productive tailback in his first two seasons in the league. He likely will split reps with Johnson in the backfield, which could impact his fantasy numbers, but he’s still worth a look later in the draft.
Corey Coleman, Wide Receiver: A lot will be expected from Coleman in his rookie season under new head coach Hue Jackson. He’s already a likely starter for Week 1, so he would be a great value around the 10th round.
AVOID
Robert Griffin III, Quarterback: Just as a general rule, you probably should never draft a Browns QB to your fantasy team. Just don’t. Griffin hopes to revive his career in a new place, but he hasn’t played since December 2014 due to injuries and being benched in favor of Kirk Cousins. He’s someone to keep an eye on if he proves he can perform at a top level again, but don’t use a draft pick on him.
Browns Defense: Cleveland ranked 27th in total defense with 6,067 combined yards in 2015. Needless to say, look somewhere else for your fantasy defense if you plan to draft one.
SLEEPER
Josh Gordon, Wide Receiver: Gordon finally might see the football field again after his year-long suspension in 2015. He still is suspended for the first four games, but if he looks anything like he did in his first two seasons when he returns, he’s worth a chance later in the draft.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
