The Browns continue to add to an already talented core, but the addition of Todd Monken as offensive coordinator shouldn't be overlooked. Monken's Tampa Bay offenses led the NFL in air yards the past two seasons, suggesting the Browns could have plenty of passing volume to go around for new addition Odell Beckham and Co. One thing that could limit a Browns passing explosion in 2019? If their equally talented defense provides the type of positive game scripts that could make Nick Chubb a Fantasy star.
2018 Review
Record: 7-8-1 (16th in NFL)
PPG: 22.4 (20)
YPG: 368.8 (13)
Pass YPG: 250.4 (14)
Rush YPG: 118.3 (14)
Pass attempts per game: 35.9 (11)
Rush attempts per game: 25.7 (15)
2018 Fantasy finishes
QB: Baker Mayfield -- QB16
RB: Nick Chubb -- RB17; Duke Johnson -- RB38
WR: Jarvis Landry -- WR19; Antonio Callaway -- WR55; Rashard Higgins -- WR61
TE: David Njoku -- TE9
Number to know: 1.3%
The Browns' sack rate in eight games with Freddie Kitchens as head coach. That's nearly half the next-lowest team, and surely played a significant role in Mayfield's second-half emergence.
2019 Offseason
"It is kind of pick your poison now. We have some pretty good talent all around — tight ends, running backs, receivers and then going in with the same offensive line. Now it is, what are we going to do with it." - Baker Mayfield
Head Coach: Freddie Kitchens (1st year - previously Offensive Coordinator/Interim Head Coach, CLE)
Offensive Coordinator: Todd Monken (1st year - previously Offensive Coordinator, TB)
Draft Picks
2. (46) Greedy Williams, CB
3. (80) Sione Takitaki, LB
4. (119) Sheldrick Redwine, S
5. (155) Mack Wilson, LB
5. (170) Austin Seibert, K
6. (189) Drew Forbes, T
7. (221) Donnie Lewis Jr., CB
Free Agency Additions
RB Kareem Hunt, WR Odell Beckham; TE Demetrius Harris; DL Olivier Vernon; DL Sheldon Richardson; LB Adarius Taylor
Key Departures
RB Duke Johnson; TE Darren Fells; LB Jamie Collins
Rankings and Projections
| Player |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | QB5 | QB6 | QB7 |
| Nick Chubb | RB10 | RB7 | RB8 |
| Kareem Hunt | RB55 | RB59 | RB54 |
| Odell Beckham | WR6 | WR4 | WR7 |
| Jarvis Landry | WR26 | WR24 | WR37 |
| David Njoku | TE10 | TE14 | TE20 |
| Greg Joseph | N/A | K30 | K17 |
| Austin Seibert | K20 | K28 | N/A |
| Browns DST | DST9 | DST11 | DST16 |
| Heath Cummings' projected offensive stats | ||
| QB | Baker Mayfield | 4,390 YD, 32 TD, 14 INT; 177 Rush YD, 1 TD |
| RB | Nick Chubb | 268 ATT, 1,250 YD, 11 TD; 39 TAR, 27 REC, 201 YD, 2 TD |
| RB | Kareem Hunt | 40 ATT, 180 YD, 1 TD; 11 TAR, 9 REC, 71 YD |
| WR | Odell Beckham | 139 TAR, 88 REC, 1,225 YD, 10 TD |
| WR | Jarvis Landry | 117 TAR, 74 REC, 846 YD, 5 TD |
| WR | Antonio Callaway | 56 TAR, 33 REC, 470 YD, 5 TD |
| TE | David Njoku | 72 TAR, 46 REC, 573 YD, 4 TD |
Biggest question
Does Kareem Hunt matter for Fantasy?
"If you draft Hunt, you have to let him sit on your bench until he's available to play in Week 10. The only way he'll play a lot is if Nick Chubb isn't effective or available by that time. It's practically a waste of a bench spot to give Hunt when there's no guarantee he'll even be a useful starter by then. If someone else takes Hunt before Round 12, thank them for doing you a favor." -- Dave Richard
One sleeper, one breakout, and one bust
Sleeper: Dontrell Hilliard
Who? An undrafted free agent who saw very little of the field as a rookie, Hilliard actually profiles as a pretty decent athlete, with a 4.47 40-yard time and a rank in the 66th percentile in burst score and agility score, per PlayerProfiler.com. He was used exclusively as a receiver last season, but was more of a factor in the running game in college when he topped 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns as a senior. With Hunt out of the picture until Week 10, if Chubb goes down with any kind of injury, Hilliard could be looking at a huge opportunity.
Breakout: Baker Mayfield
How could it be anyone else? OK, it could have been Chubb, too, but Mayfield has the potential to be a legitimate difference maker at a position we're mostly willing to wait on these days. In six games after the team's bye, Mayfield completed 66.7% of his passes, racking up 290.2 yards per game on 8.7 Y/A, numbers that would obviously be elite if managed for a full year. And that was without Odell Beckham. The sky is the limit for Mayfield, who might be one of the few QBs worth reaching for.
Bust: Kareem Hunt
RB36. That is Kareem Hunt's (very early!) ADP as of June. If you're taking Hunt as anything at all but a late-round flier — we're talking last pick before your DST — you're doing this wrong. Is Hunt capable of great things? Obviously. But we won't see him until Week 10, and even then, that might just be as a role player. Basically, Hunt is a high-profile insurance option for 2019, only he's one with no chance of a positive return on investment until nearly the Fantasy playoffs. You're better off drafting Hilliard.
